Critical Systems Security

Section 1: Overview of Assessment

This assignment assesses the following module learning outcomes:
• Demonstrate a deep and systematic understanding of conventional and contemporary ICS implementations and their comparison to IT systems in the context of cyber security;
• Undertake the analysis of the cyber threat landscape in ICS and evaluate current cyber protection approaches in the field;
• Design and evaluate improvements in current cyber protection approaches to tackle the cyber security challenges that arise in ICS.
• Demonstrate an understanding of industry-specific regulations and standards for the protection of ICS

Broadly speaking, the assignment requires you to write a 2500 (+/-10%) words report on the analysis of the current cyber threat landscape and cyber protection approaches in the Critical Infrastructure, proposing ways for improvement. The report will be research-based, written in an industrial standards format; you are expected to draw information from one or more case studies such as "Stuxnet" (and/or variations of Stuxnet), the "Analysis of the Cyber Attack on the Ukrainian Power Grid" in 2015 and Wannacry; however, these casestudies should not be the base for your report.

Working on this assignment will help you to identify and analyse the challenges that arise in the cyber protection of cyber physical control systems used in the Critical Infrastructure, and present them in a report that follows industrial standards. Through your research you will analyse and evaluate the current threat landscape and the cyber protection approaches in the field, and propose ways for improvement. If you have questions about this assignment, please post them to the discussion board on Blackboard.

Section 2: Task Specification
Produce a 2500 (+/-10%) words report analysing selected case study/-ies on cyber security incidents in the Critical Infrastructure for a given industry of your choosing (such as, Water, Energy, Telecomms...).

You are working as an independent consultant for a Cyber Security firm that operates a Research and Development department on Cyber Security in Industrial Control Systems. The firm wants to gather intelligence on cyber security in Critical Systems in order to come up with new products and solutions. Your assignment is to do research in this area and produce a report that addresses the firm's needs. In particular, your research will focus on:

1. The analysis of the current threat landscape in cyber physical control systems used in the Critical Infrastructure for a given industry of you choosing.

2. The analysis and evaluation of current cyber-security approaches in the field.

3. Ways to improve current cyber security approaches, analysing their impact on the system.

4. Produce a topological map identifying the location of interventions you would apply (Section 2 and 3). [An topological map has been provided in the assignments folder on Blackboard; however, you are free to produce your own]

Your research should draw information from real world case studies (some have been discussed in the lectures / tutorials (e.g. Stuxnet, Flame, Ukrainian Power Grid, Wannacry etc.) and relevant papers of high quality; however these should not be the sole bases of your report.

In your report, you must clearly identify the following elements:
- The differences between traditional IT systems and Critical Systems and how they affect cyber security;
- The entities involved in cyber security incidents in the Critical Infrastructure (e.g. attack actors, ICS vendors, environment etc.);
- The cyber security risks and the associated threat vectors;
- Current cyber security approaches and their limitations, analysing the technical and operational challenges that arise;
- Ways to improve cyber security in this area, discussing their impact on the system.

The report must follow professional standards, written in an appropriate style and format. Accuracy, completeness and consistency of citation and listing of sources must also be taken into account.

Section 3: Deliverables

Your report should include the result of your research as described in Section 2. On the first page of your report you should clearly identify the subject/title of the report, your name and surname followed by your student ID and the current date.