Title: A hybrid systems model to simulate cyber interdependencies between critical infrastructures

Authors: Hafiz Abdur Rahman; José R. Martí; K.D. Srivastava

Addresses: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Room # 3085 Kaiser Building, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Room # 3058 Kaiser Building, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Room # 3056 Kaiser Building Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada

Abstract: Critical infrastructures (CI) depend on communications and information technology infrastructure (CITI) for many of their key functionalities, which is known as cyber interdependency. In this paper, we presented a cyber interdependency simulation technique that is based on the idea that overall performance of a CI network is determined by the behaviour of its components at multiple time scales. Accordingly, for cyber interdependency simulation, we decomposed CI network into two time scales; regular CI events are captured in large time-steps and data communication network events are captured in smaller time-steps. Two different simulators are used for each of these partitions and results from both simulations are synchronised appropriately. A real life example is presented to demonstrate the accuracy and usefulness of our approach. The hybrid simulation model gives significant flexibility to plug-in domain specific models into the critical infrastructure simulator for accurate and efficient solution.

Keywords: critical infrastructures; simulation; hybrid modelling; communications and information technology infrastructure; CITI; communications technology; ICT; cyber interdependency.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCIS.2011.045056

International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 2011 Vol.7 No.4, pp.265 - 288

Received: 03 Nov 2010
Accepted: 08 Nov 2010
Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

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