Diverse Secondary Control System for Cyber Resilience

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current computer control systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks due to their connectivity, which allows for potential malicious modifications or sabotage, and existing cybersecurity measures are inadequate in predicting and mitigating unknown malware and viruses.

Innovation Solution

A redundant and diverse secondary control system is implemented, operating on different hardware and software than the primary system, with a hardware-coded algorithm to prevent the spread of security breaches, and a monitor device compares actuation signals to ensure proper functioning, using a hardware-based approach to maintain system integrity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If computer control systems are connected to networks for convenient access and maintenance, then ease of operation and maintenance is improved, but vulnerability to cyber attacks and malicious modifications increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess for update, maintenance, and modificationVSAvoidcyber vulnerability to malicious attacks

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is divided into two independent segments: a primary control system connected to networks for ease of maintenance, and a secondary control system isolated from networks for security. Each segment operates independently with its own hardware and software architecture, allowing the primary system to be accessed for updates while the secondary system remains protected from cyber attacks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A monitor device acts as an intermediary between the primary and secondary control systems. It compares actuation signals from both systems and detects discrepancies, serving as a security mechanism that allows network connectivity benefits while preventing malicious influence from spreading to the isolated secondary system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a single control system is used for simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability against undetected malware and viruses decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system structureVSAvoiddetection of malicious cyber activities

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary control system uses fundamentally different hardware and software qualities compared to the primary system. Specifically, it employs hardware-coded algorithms instead of software-based algorithms, creating a local quality difference that prevents software-based malware from affecting the secondary system while maintaining the same control function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

A secondary control system is created as a copy of the primary system's control logic and function, but implemented with different hardware and software architecture. This copying approach allows the system to maintain functional redundancy while using fundamentally different implementation methods to resist the same malware threats.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If hardware-coded algorithms are used in the secondary control system, then resistance to software-based viruses and worms is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against software-based attacksVSAvoidhardware coding implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes software-based control algorithms with hardware-coded algorithms in the secondary control system. This replacement uses fundamental differences in implementation methodology - hardware logic circuits instead of software code - to achieve immunity to software-based malware while performing the same control function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10592668B2Computer system security with redundant diverse secondary control system with incompatible primary control system

Publication Date: 2020.03.17 HOWARD UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A redundant and diverse secondary control system mirrors a primary control system but has some fundamental structural difference as compared to the primary control system to prevent a spread of a security breach from the primary control system to the secondary control system. The secondary control system may operate on different hardware built on different software written with different programming language as compared to the primary control system while performing the same function as that of the primary system. By hardware coding the algorithm to produce actuation signals, software based viruses and worms cannot interfere with the secondary control system's operation. A monitor device receives actuation signals from both the primary and secondary controls signals to determine whether an error occurred and to provide correct actuation signals to the controlled system.