This article discusses a comprehensive methodology for designing an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), which is a stealthy and continuous type of cyberattack with a high level of sophistication suitable for the complex environment of Industrial Control Systems (ICS). The article also explains defensive strategies that can assist in thwarting cyberattacks. The APT design process begins with Reconnaissance, which is continuously undertaken throughout the lifetime of a cyberattack campaign. With regard to securing the network infrastructure of an ICS, best practices for network security should be enforced. These could include the use of firewalls, Intrusion Detection or Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), and network separation between corporate and field networks. A new field of research for securing ICS relates to process-aware defense mechanisms. These mechanisms analyze information directly from the field and try to detect anomalies specific to the physical characteristics of an ICS process.
Demystifying Advanced Persistent Threats for Industrial Control Systems
Anastasis Keliris was born in Larnaca, Cyprus. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in Greece with Honors. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at the Tandon School of Engineering of New York University and is affiliated with the Modern Microprocessors Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi. His research interests include security of embedded systems with a focus on industrial control systems and critical infrastructure.
Michail Maniatakos is an Assistant Professor of ECE at NYU Abu Dhabi and a Research Assistant Professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. He is the Director of the MoMA Laboratory (nyuad. nyu.edu/momalab). He received his Ph.D. in 2012 from the Electrical Engineering department at Yale University. His research interests, funded by industrial partners and the US government, include robust microprocessor architectures, privacy-preserving computation, as well as industrial control systems security. He has authored several publications in IEEE transactions and conferences, holds patents on privacy-preserving data processing, and serves in the technical program committee for various conferences. Michail is currently the faculty lead for the Embedded Security Challenge held yearly at various NYU global sites.
Keliris, A., and Maniatakos, M. (March 1, 2017). "Demystifying Advanced Persistent Threats for Industrial Control Systems." ASME. Mechanical Engineering. March 2017; 139(03): S13–S17. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2017-Mar-6
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