Title: Optimal network defense strategy selection based on Bayesian game

Authors: Zeng-Guang Wang; Yu Lu; Xi Li

Addresses: Shijiazhuang Campus of Army Engineering University, Shijiazhuang 050003, China ' Shijiazhuang Campus of Army Engineering University, Shijiazhuang 050003, China ' Shijiazhuang Campus of Army Engineering University, Shijiazhuang 050003, China

Abstract: Existing passive defence methods cannot effectively guarantee network security; to solve this problem, a novel method is proposed that selects the optimal defence strategy. The network attack-defence process is modelled based on the Bayesian game. The payoff is quantified from the impact value of the attack-defence actions. The optimal defence strategy is selected that takes defence effectiveness as the criterion. The rationality and feasibility of the method are verified through a representative example, and the general rules of network defence are summarised. Compared to the classic strategy selection methods based on game theory, the proposed method can select the optimal strategy in the form of pure strategy by quantifying defence effectiveness, which was proven to perform better.

Keywords: network security; network attack-defence process; Bayesian game; incomplete information; attack-defence payoffs; Nash equilibrium; strategy selection; defence effectiveness; pure strategy; optimal defence strategy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSN.2020.106830

International Journal of Security and Networks, 2020 Vol.15 No.2, pp.67 - 77

Received: 12 Mar 2019
Accepted: 23 Jun 2019

Published online: 22 Apr 2020 *

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