Securing Signal-free Intersections against Strategic Jamming Attacks: A Macroscopic Approach

TL;DR

This paper models the security of signal-free intersections against strategic jamming attacks using a macroscopic fluid model, analyzing the trade-offs between attack strategies and system design parameters to optimize safety and efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces a game-theoretic framework to analyze the interaction between attackers and system operators in securing autonomous vehicle intersections against communication jamming.

Findings

Optimal investment levels in recovery and saturation rates depend on attack intensity.

Strategic jamming can significantly reduce intersection throughput and increase travel delays.

The equilibrium analysis guides designing resilient intersection control systems.

Abstract

We consider the security-by-design of a signal-free intersection for connected and autonomous vehicles in the face of strategic jamming attacks. We use a fluid model to characterize macroscopic traffic flow through the intersection, where the saturation rate is derived from a vehicle coordination algorithm. We model jamming attacks as sudden increase in communication latency induced on vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity; such latency triggers the safety mode for vehicle coordination and thus reduces the intersection saturation rate. A strategic attacker selects the attacking rate, while a system operator selects key design parameters, either the saturation rate or the recovery rate. Both players' actions induce technological costs and jointly determine the mean travel delay. By analyzing the equilibrium of the security game, we study the preferable level of investment in the intersection's nominal discharging capability or recovery capability.