Toward a Multi-Agent System Architecture for Insight & Cybersecurity in Cyber-Physical Networks

Operational Technology (OT) networks existed well before the dawn of the Internet, and had enjoyed security through being air-gapped and isolated. However, the interconnectedness of the world has found its way into these OT networks, exposing their vulnerabilities for cyber attacks. As the global Internet continues to grow, it becomes more and more embedded with the physical world. The Internet of Things is one such example of how IT is blurring the cyber-physical boundaries. The eventuality will be a convergence of IT and OT. Until that day comes, cyber practitioners must still deal with the primitive security features of OT networks, maintain a foothold on enterprise and cloud networks, and attempt to instill sound security practices in burgeoning IoT networks. In this paper, we propose a new method to bring cyber security to OT and IoT-based networks, through Multi-agent Systems (MAS). MAS are flexible enough to integrate with fixed legacy networks, such as ICS, as well with be burned into newer devices and software, such as IoT and IT networks. In this paper, we discuss the features of MAS, the opportunities that exist to benefit cyber security, and a proposed architecture for a OT-based MAS.