Method of instrumental estimation of critical information infrastructure under information technology interference

The Aim of the paper is to develop a method enabling quantitative estimation of stability indicators of critical information infrastructure (CII) facilities under information technology interference (ITI) using testbed experimental research data. CII facilities include information and telecommunication networks (ITCN), information systems (IS), automated systems (AS) and telecommunication systems that are used as part of computer-based systems in transportation, energy, communications, navigation, manufacturing and other domains. For the purpose of this paper, the stability of CII operation shall be understood as the ability of CII facility elements to maintain operating parameter values within the specified limits within the specified time period when affected by intruders’ ITI. Intruders’ ITI is understood as intentional hardware and software interference that cause disruptions (blocking, distortion) of information computation processes in CII facilities within a specified period of time. The developed method is based on experimental research, accelerated testing methods and computational methods of estimation of CII facilities operational stability that were applied subject to the specificity of system analysis of the process of ITCN, IS and ACS operation under simulated intruder ITI. The method uses two primary types of indicators, i.e. the probability of faults and additional (artificial) faults in the course of data communication between CII facility elements caused by ITI, and the probability of faults and additional faults as the result of ITI in the course of information processing in CII facilities. The inclusion in the method of indicators for estimating additional faults due to ITI enables a priori analysis of rare and sudden events of CII facility operational stability disruptions. Subject to the obtained estimates, technical and organizational measures are substantiated for the purpose of neutralizing ITI against CII facilities. Applying the method requires the availability of trial sites for the purpose of estimating the stability and actual security of CII facilities that host the functional equivalents of CII facilities, ITI simulators, information security tools (IST) and computer incident recovery tools. The developed method enables estimating the values of stability indicators, i.e. probability of successful transmission of data between CII facility elements and probability of successful processing of information in CII facility elements affected by faults based on instrumental estimation of system elements’ operation processes assessment under simulated ITI.

information technology interference, critical information infrastructure facilities, faults, stability

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