Digital technology has transformed the whole world. Starting from the day-to-day activities of almost all of transactions, communication is happening in the digital format. The data that is communicated is also getting stored in a number of devices, starting from sensors to mobile and other computing devices. These devices can be digital or analog in nature. All the devices communicate within them and exchange the needed data among them. A cyber physical system (CPS) combines the digital and analog devices that are present in the physical and cyber world. The CPS integrates sensors and networks of the physical process to the computational components. These are done so as to control the physical process. There have been a number of applications where CPS have been deployed. Though there are vast applications, the CPS faces a lot of issues like the network security. This chapter aims at providing the current scenario the network security plays and its applications.
Top1.0. Introduction
The CPS can also be called as an intelligent system. This is a computer system where the mechanisms and their components are controlled and also monitored by computer-based algorithms. The notion or the concept of CPS was proposed initially by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1992. Later it was discussed in detail by Baheti and Gill (2011). The CPS is the technology that integrates computation, networking, and the physical processes Lee & Seshia, (2017)Cardenas et al., (2008). The fundamental principle of CPS is to bridge the engineering and physical world applications to that of the computer hardware and cyber worlds. The word “Cyber” in the CPS indicate the computations integration, networking and physical processes integration also. CPS belongs to the engineering discipline Poovendran, (2010) and is focussed on the technology.
Recent times have witnessed CPS in a wider range and it is the core technology when the industrial revolution is concerned Ge et al., (2017). Many researchers worked to establish the importance of CPS. It was brought as the top of other information technologies President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, (2007). It was used in the German Industry 4.0 Kagermann, (2015) as the industrial Internet in the U.S Annunziata & Evans, (2013). It also made its way to the ARTEMIS (Advanced Research and Technology for Embedded Intelligence and Systems) ARTEMIS Ind. Ass, (2007).
As the use of CPS have grown over the years, the security threats that these systems face are also growing. In general, the security of the CPS can be classified into two major areas:
- (i)
Information Security: The CPS systems store data or information in its components or systems. These information needs to be secured and protected. This kind of security involves securing such information during its process. The data retrieved may go through a lot of process like data aggregation, data processing, and these data can be shared in the network environment. These networks can be an open network, or loosely coupled networks. The information security aims to protect the data by using cryptographic techniques. The next type of security tries to control the security by protecting the dynamic workings of the control systems and defending them against cyber-attacks.
- (ii)
Control security: This technique of security aims to control the issues in the network environment. It focuses in mitigating the control system and protecting it from any possible attacks.
Cyber security and network security vary by a lot of features and characteristics. Cyber security focusses in defending the system from cyber and malicious attacks. The basic idea is to enhance the system’s security. By doing so, the unauthorized access to the system can be eliminated. It thus protects cyberspace from attacks and damages. While network security focusses on the measures taken by an organization with an aim to secure its network. The main aim is at securing the confidentiality and accessibility of the data and more importantly on the network. So, there is a possibility of having cyber threats in CPS.
Despite their enormous advantages of the CPS, the CPS are vulnerable to various cyber and other related threats. They face a lot of attacks and challenges on a daily basis. Many research works have been carried out by researchers. Various goals of CPS were listed out Chen, (2010), the different ways by which the security of CPS can be maintained were presented Humayed et al., (2017). The security challenges faced by CPS were discussed Yoo & Shon, (2016).