Security evaluation of cyber networks under advanced persistent threats

TL;DR

This paper models cyber attack-defense dynamics under advanced persistent threats, introduces a new security metric called limit security, and analyzes how various factors influence network security through theoretical and simulation methods.

Contribution

It presents a novel dynamical system model for APT-based cyber attacks and defines the limit security metric, providing new insights into network vulnerability assessment.

Findings

The model exhibits global stability.

Limit security depends on attack and defense parameters.

Simulations validate theoretical analysis.

Abstract

This paper is devoted to measuring the security of cyber networks under advanced persistent threats (APTs). First, an APT-based cyber attack-defense process is modeled as an individual-level dynamical system. Second, the dynamic model is shown to exhibit the global stability. On this basis, a new security metric of cyber networks, which is known as the limit security, is defined as the limit expected fraction of compromised nodes in the networks. Next, the influence of different factors on the limit security is illuminated through theoretical analysis and computer simulation. This work helps understand the security of cyber networks under APTs.