What is it about?

Digital Twins (DTs) can be classified in a number of ways. The paper outlines DT classifications and how they best serve to improve existing incident reponse processes in complex Cyber-Physical Systems or even be used to design new processes.

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Why is it important?

Digital Twins are only as useful as the scope to which they are applied. Some research limits the scope to a single device, others to a single network. To apply DTs to Cyber-Physical Systems in order to improve incident response, you need to examine the existing processes - it is in this way that the paper contributes greatly: it organises the various forms of DTs and applies them to provide the most appropriate form of assistance during incident response. Through this process, an organisation can then refine their processes by asking the most appropriate form of DT a series of questions. Ultimately, we can streamline and speed up incident response processes and even gain more confidence in our response.

Perspectives

Through my work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) I have had the privilege to talk to operators, regulators, cyber security experts, and national CERTs who look after the most critical of infrastructures - the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). While the common goal of safe and secure operation remains with each stakeholder, their perspectives on how to achieve this can vary greatly. The nuclear domain already has many high-fidelity simulators, as well as well-defined operating procedures - aspects of which are already leaking into the cyber security field. Both cyber security and nuclear operations have much to learn from each other, and borrowing the best from both fields to build a common platform - such as a Digital Twin - can yield great results and help ensure their common goal is achieved. Progress is slow, but technology can help us make great leaps towards a safer future.

David Allison
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Digital Twin-Enhanced Incident Response for Cyber-Physical Systems, August 2023, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3600160.3600195.
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