Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Ethics Surrounding Collegiate-Level Hacking Education: Recommended Implementation Plan & Affiliation With Peer-Led Initiatives, Shannon Morgan, Dr. Sanjay Goel

Military Cyber Affairs

Cybersecurity has become a pertinent concern, as novel technological innovations create opportunities for threat actors to exfiltrate sensitive data. To meet the demand for professionals in the workforce, universities have ramped up their academic offerings to provide a broad range of cyber-related programs (e.g., cybersecurity, informatics, information technology, digital forensics, computer science, & engineering). As the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of hackers evolve, the knowledge and skillset required to be an effective cybersecurity professional have escalated accordingly. Therefore, it is critical to train cyber students both technically and theoretically to actively combat cyber criminals and protect the confidentiality, integrity, …

Using Digital Twins To Protect Biomanufacturing From Cyberattacks, Brenden Fraser-Hevlin, Alec W. Schuler, B. Arda Gozen, Bernard J. Van Wie

Military Cyber Affairs

Understanding of the intersection of cyber vulnerabilities and bioprocess regulation is critical with the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning in manufacturing. We detail a case study in which we model cyberattacks on network-mediated signals from a novel bioreactor, where it is important to control medium feed rates to maintain cell proliferation. We use a digital twin counterpart reactor to compare glucose and oxygen sensor signals from the bioreactor to predictions from a kinetic growth model, allowing discernment of faulty sensors from hacked signals. Our results demonstrate a successful biomanufacturing cyberattack detection system based on fundamental process control principles.

Characterizing Advanced Persistent Threats Through The Lens Of Cyber Attack Flows, Logan Zeien, Caleb Chang, Ltc Ekzhin Ear, Dr. Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

Effective cyber defense must build upon a deep understanding of real-world cyberattacks to guide the design and deployment of appropriate defensive measures against current and future attacks. In this abridged paper (of which the full paper is available online), we present important concepts for understanding Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), our methodology to characterize APTs through the lens of attack flows, and a detailed case study of APT28 that demonstrates our method’s viability to draw useful insights. This paper makes three technical contributions. First, we propose a novel method of constructing attack flows to describe APTs. This abstraction allows technical audiences, …

Generative Machine Learning For Cyber Security, James Halvorsen, Dr. Assefaw Gebremedhin

Military Cyber Affairs

Automated approaches to cyber security based on machine learning will be necessary to combat the next generation of cyber-attacks. Current machine learning tools, however, are difficult to develop and deploy due to issues such as data availability and high false positive rates. Generative models can help solve data-related issues by creating high quality synthetic data for training and testing. Furthermore, some generative architectures are multipurpose, and when used for tasks such as intrusion detection, can outperform existing classifier models. This paper demonstrates how the future of cyber security stands to benefit from continued research on generative models.

Machine Learning Security For Tactical Operations, Dr. Denaria Fields, Shakiya A. Friend, Andrew Hermansen, Dr. Tugba Erpek, Dr. Yalin E. Sagduyu

Military Cyber Affairs

Deep learning finds rich applications in the tactical domain by learning from diverse data sources and performing difficult tasks to support mission-critical applications. However, deep learning models are susceptible to various attacks and exploits. In this paper, we first discuss application areas of deep learning in the tactical domain. Next, we present adversarial machine learning as an emerging attack vector and discuss the impact of adversarial attacks on the deep learning performance. Finally, we discuss potential defense methods that can be applied against these attacks.

Securing The Void: Assessing The Dynamic Threat Landscape Of Space, Brianna Bace, Dr. Unal Tatar

Military Cyber Affairs

Outer space is a strategic and multifaceted domain that is a crossroads for political, military, and economic interests. From a defense perspective, the U.S. military and intelligence community rely heavily on satellite networks to meet national security objectives and execute military operations and intelligence gathering. This paper examines the evolving threat landscape of the space sector, encompassing natural and man-made perils, emphasizing the rise of cyber threats and the complexity introduced by dual-use technology and commercialization. It also explores the implications for security and resilience, advocating for collaborative efforts among international organizations, governments, and industry to safeguard the space sector.

Commercial Enablers Of China’S Cyber-Intelligence And Information Operations, Ethan Mansour, Victor Mukora

Military Cyber Affairs

In a globally commercialized information environment, China uses evolving commercial enabler networks to position and project its goals. They do this through cyber, intelligence, and information operations. This paper breaks down the types of commercial enablers and how they are used operationally. It will also address the CCP's strategy to gather and influence foreign and domestic populations throughout cyberspace. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for mitigating the influence of PRC commercial enablers.

Security-Enhanced Serial Communications, John White, Alexander Beall, Joseph Maurio, Dane Fichter, Dr. Matthew Davis, Dr. Zachary Birnbaum

Military Cyber Affairs

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are widely used by critical infrastructure and are ubiquitous in numerous industries including telecommunications, petrochemical, and manufacturing. ICS are at a high risk of cyber attack given their internet accessibility, inherent lack of security, deployment timelines, and criticality. A unique challenge in ICS security is the prevalence of serial communication buses and other non-TCP/IP communications protocols. The communication protocols used within serial buses often lack authentication and integrity protections, leaving them vulnerable to spoofing and replay attacks. The bandwidth constraints and prevalence of legacy hardware in these systems prevent the use of modern message authentication and …

Enhancing The Battleverse: The People’S Liberation Army’S Digital Twin Strategy, Joshua Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Operationalizing Deterrence By Denial In The Cyber Domain, Gentry Lane

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

What Senior U.S. Leaders Say We Should Know About Cyber, Dr. Joseph H. Schafer

Military Cyber Affairs

On April 6, 2023, the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative hosted a panel discussion on the new National Cybersecurity Strategy. The panel featured four senior officials from the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), the Department of State (DoS), the Department of Justice (DoJ), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The author attended and asked each official to identify the most important elements that policymakers and strategists must understand about cyber. This article highlights historical and recent struggles to express cyber policy, the responses from these officials, and the author’s ongoing research to improve national security cyber policy.

Defensive Industrial Policy: Cybersecurity Interventions To Reduce Intellectual Property Theft, Dr. Chad Dacus, Dr. Carl (Cj) Horn

Military Cyber Affairs

Through cyber-enabled industrial espionage, China has appropriated what Keith Alexander, the former Director of the National Security Agency, dubbed “the largest transfer of wealth in history.” Although China disavows intellectual property (IP) theft by its citizens and has set self-sustained research and development as an important goal, it is unrealistic to believe IP theft will slow down meaningfully without changing China’s decision calculus. China and the United States have twice agreed, in principle, to respect one another’s IP rights. However, these agreements have lacked any real enforcement mechanism, so the United States must do more to ensure its IP is …

Offensive Cyber Operations And Future Littoral Operating Concepts, Jd Work

Military Cyber Affairs

Introduction of new ground-launch cruise missile options to hold adversary naval targets at risk in order to support conventional deterrence objectives through sea control and sea denial missions is the centerpiece of proposed reorganization of Marine Littoral forces, as part of new “Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations,” and “Littoral Operations in Contested Environments” concepts. Effective distributed sea control fires against pacing threat maritime formations requires defeat of integrated air defense systems. Offensive cyber operations capabilities may be considered as a means of altering the calculus of attrition in missile fires exchanges, but due to various sensitivities it has been difficult to …

Enter The Battleverse: China's Metaverse War, Josh Baughman

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

The Iwar Range + 21 Years: Cyber Defense Education In 2022, Joseph H. Schafer, Chris Morrell, Ray Blaine

Military Cyber Affairs

Twenty-one years ago, The IWAR Range paper published by CCSC described nascent information assurance (now cybersecurity[1]) education programs and the inspiration and details for constructing cyber ranges and facilitating cyber exercises. This paper updates the previously published work by highlighting the dramatic evolution of the cyber curricula, exercise networks and ranges, influences, and environments over the past twenty years.

[1] In 2014, DoD adopted “cybersecurity” instead of “information assurance.” [34:1]

Assessing Impacts Of 5th Generation (5g) Cellular Telecommunications On Internet Of Things (Iot) Deployments, Michael Love, Marwan Jamal

Military Cyber Affairs

The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as a primary enabler of the transformation to digital business services in today’s economy. At the same time, 5^th Generation (5G) cellular transport technology is emerging as a viable means to support IoT data requirements. Although 5G is still in its infancy, DoD leaders need to understand the impacts that 5G will have on IoT projects as there are several challenges involved with integrating 5G into IoT. In order to achieve the maximum benefits of high bandwidth, low latency and superior performance, an entirely new grid of cell sites and access units …

Three Emerging Innovative Technologies Required For Cyber Operations To Execute Commander’S Intent At Machine Speed, Andrew Stewart

Military Cyber Affairs

Decision advantage for the DoD and Combined Cyber Operations results from the secure, seamless, and rapid maneuver of data and information. In the DoD’s 2018 Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the DoD recognized that it must, “put in place key building blocks and platforms to scale and democratize access to AI. This includes creating a common foundation of shared data, reusable tools, frameworks and standards, and cloud and edge services.”[1] More than ever, integrated, adaptive cyber operations provide the means of maneuver for data to enable DoD’s decision advantage-based goals. To support this vision, the integrated implementation three innovative cyber technologies …

Cyber Metaphors And Cyber Goals: Lessons From “Flatland”, Pierre Trepagnier

Military Cyber Affairs

Reasoning about complex and abstract ideas is greatly influenced by the choice of metaphors through which they are represented. In this paper we consider the framing effect in military doctrine of considering cyberspace as a domain of action, parallel to the traditional domains of land, sea, air, and space. By means of the well-known Victorian science-fiction novella Flatland, we offer a critique of this dominant cyber metaphor. In Flatland, the problems of lower-dimensional beings comprehending additional dimensions are explored at some length. Inspired by Flatland, our suggested alternate metaphor for cyber is an additional (fourth) dimension. We …

Leveraging Lexical Link Analysis (Lla) To Discover New Knowledge, Ying Zhao, Douglas J. Mackinnon, Shelley P. Gallup, Joseph L. Billingsley

Military Cyber Affairs

Lexical Link Analysis (LLA) is a form of text mining in which word meanings represented in lexical terms (e.g., word pairs) are treated as if they are in a community of a word network. LLA can provide automated awareness for analyzing text data and reveal previously unknown, data-driven themed connections. We applied LLA to develop authentic archetypes and conversely determine potential imposters of that same archetype. We use publically available social media data to develop a cyber professional as an example. This paper reports the development of the algorithm, the collection and labeling of data, as well as the results …

Data To Decisions For Cyberspace Operations, Steve Stone

Military Cyber Affairs

In 2011, the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DOD) named cyberspace a new operational domain. The U.S. Cyber Command and the Military Services are working to make the cyberspace environment a suitable place for achieving national objectives and enabling military command and control (C2). To effectively conduct cyberspace operations, DOD requires data and analysis of the Mission, Network, and Adversary. However, the DOD’s current data processing and analysis capabilities do not meet mission needs within critical operational timelines. This paper presents a summary of the data processing and analytics necessary to effectively conduct cyberspace operations.