Criticality based Optimal Cyber Defense Remediation in Energy Delivery Systems

A prioritized cyber defense remediation plan is critical for effective risk management in Energy Delivery System (EDS). Due to the complexity of EDS in terms of heterogeneous nature blending Information Technology (IT) and Operation Technology (OT) and Industrial Control System (ICS), scale and critical processes tasks, prioritized remediations should be applied gradually to protect critical assets. In this work, we propose a methodology for a prioritized cyber risk remediation plan by detecting and evaluating paths to critical nodes in EDS. We propose critical nodes characteristics evaluation based on nodes’ architectural positions, a measure of centrality based on nodes’ connectivity and frequency of network traffic, as well as the controlled amount of physical loads. The paper also examines the relationship between cost models of budget allocation for the removal of vulnerabilities on critical nodes and its impact on gradual readiness. Received on 15 June 2021; accepted on 01 September 2021; published on 10 September 2021