Problem Abstraction in Cyber Simulation for Threat Assessment
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CAN UNCLASSIFIED Analysis of Autonomous Cyber Operation Simulation Environments Delfin Montano Solana Networks Inc. Prepared by: Delfin Montano Solana Networks Inc. via General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada 1941 Robertson Road Ottawa, Ontario K2H 5B7 PSPC Contract Number: W7714-115274/001/SV Technical Authority: Adrian Taylor, Defence Scientist Contractor's date of publication: September 2019 Defence Research and Development Canada Contract Report DRDC-RDDC-2019-C257 Novembere 2019 CAN UNCLASSIFIED CAN UNCLASSIFIED IMPORTANT INFORMATIVE STATEMENTS This document was reviewed for Controlled Goods by Defence Research and Development Canada using the Schedule to the Defence Production Act. Disclaimer: This document is not published by the Editorial Office of Defence Research and Development Canada, an agency of the Department of National Defence of Canada but is to be catalogued in the Canadian Defence Information System (CANDIS), the national repository for Defence S&T documents. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Department of National Defence) makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, of any kind whatsoever, and assumes no liability for the accuracy, reliability, completeness, currency or usefulness of any information, product, process or material included in this document. Nothing in this document should be interpreted as an endorsement for the specific use of any tool, technique or process examined in it. Any reliance on, or use of, any information, product, process or material included in this document is at the sole risk of the person so using it or relying on it. Canada does not assume any liability in respect of any damages or losses arising out of or in connection with the use of, or reliance on, any information, product, process or material included in this document. Template in use: EO Publishing App for CR-EL Eng 2019-01-03-v1.dotm © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Department of National Defence), 2019 © Sa Majesté la Reine en droit du Canada (Ministère de la Défense nationale), 2019 CAN UNCLASSIFIED ARMOUR Task 11 Document # CAD00010262 SOLANA NETWORKS ANALYSIS OF AUTONOMOUS CYBER OPERATIONS SIMULATION ENVIRONMENTS This document was prepared by General Dynamics Mission Systems – Canada under Public Works and Government Service Canada Contract No. W7714-115274/001/SV. Use and dissemination of the information herein shall be in accordance with the Terms and Conditions Contract No. W7714- 115274/001/SV. Prepared By: General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada 1941 Robertson Road Ottawa, Ontario K2H 5B7 Date: 16 September 2019 Reference No.: HCJ RELEASE RECORD Approver Role Approver Name Approval Date DPME Mike Gingell 16 September 2019 Project Manager Karen Arsenault 16 September 2019 REVISION STATUS SHEET Revision Date Comments CAD00010262 Baseline 16 September 2019 Initial Release Preliminary Research Investigation Report Analysis of Autonomous Cyber Operation Simulation Environments Version 2.1 List of Authors Delfin Y. Montuno [email protected] Abstract Autonomous Cyber Operations is an important area of research and so is having a simulation and modeling tool that can optimize, assess, and enable exploration of strategic autonomic algorithms, especially against adversarial artificial intelligent agents in the network supporting mission critical operations. To assist in informing decisions about procuring or developing cyber simulation environments for the purpose of automated cyber operation experimentation, we investigate existing literature for cyber simulation solution theories, methods, tools, and results, and categorize them according to their simulation objectives by analyzing their key characteristics, including problem abstraction issues. Based on the investigation results, we formulate an attributes enumeration template for analyzing simulation environments in generic terms, and illustrate the application of the attribute template to selected solutions. Next we tailor the attributes enumeration template for analyzing solutions that deal with assessing security posture with intelligent actors, both benign and adversarial, and illustrate the application of the goal-specific attributes enumeration template to selected solutions. Finally we discuss sample building block solutions and propose a simple buy or build decision making process for obtaining cyber simulation environments. Résumé L’émergence de la opérations autonomes en ligne en tant que domaine de recherche important a entraîné le besoin d’outils de simulation et de modélisation qui peuvent optimiser, évaluer et permettre l’exploration d’algorithmes stratégiques autonomes. Ces algorithmes permettraient aux systèmes de protéger les opérations essentielles à la mission contre les agents intelligents artificiels adverses déployés sur le réseau. Pour éclairer les décisions concernant l’acquisition ou le développement d’environnements de cybersimulation à des fins d’expérimentation de cyberopérations automatisées, nous examinons la documentation existante sur les théories, méthodes, outils et résultats des solutions de cybersimulation. Nous classons les travaux existants en fonction de leurs objectifs de simulation en analysant leurs caractéristiques clés, y compris les problèmes d’abstraction. À partir des résultats de l’enquête, nous formulons un modèle d’énumération des attributs pour analyser les environnements de simulation en termes génériques et illustrons l’application du modèle d’attributs à des solutions choisies. Ensuite, nous adaptons le modèle d’énumération des attributs pour analyser les solutions qui traitent de l’évaluation de la posture de sécurité pour les scénarios impliquant des acteurs intelligents, tant bénins que conflictuels. Nous illustrons l’application du gabarit d’énumération des attributs propres aux objectifs à des solutions choisies. Enfin, nous discutons d’exemples de solutions de base et proposons un processus de prise de décision simple d’achat ou de construction pour l’obtention d’environnements de cybersimulation. Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... VII LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ VIII 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objective ......................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Cyber Security Simulation and Modeling......................................................... 4 1.4 A Characteristics Analysis Framework ............................................................ 5 1.5 Attributes of a Cyber Security Simulation Environment (CSSE) ...................... 7 1.5.1 Technical Attributes – Simulation and Modeling Support ........................... 7 1.5.2 Quality Attributes ........................................................................................ 9 2. SUMMARY OF CSSES REVIEW .................................................................... 11 2.1 Attack Related Solutions ............................................................................... 11 2.2 Defense Related Solutions ............................................................................ 13 2.3 Cyber Solution Enablers ................................................................................ 19 2.4 Applications ................................................................................................... 23 2.5 Others ........................................................................................................... 27 3. APPLICATION OF ATTRIBUTES ENUMERATION TO DIFFERENT PROBLEMS ................................................................................................... 28 3.1 Sample Attributes Enumeration Results a Using Generic Template ............. 28 3.1.1 Red Teaming Simulation [Applebaum-2016]............................................ 28 3.1.2 Simulation for Deception [Durkota-2016] ................................................. 30 3.1.3 Simulation with Learning [Elderman-2017]............................................... 31 3.1.4 Simulation for Assessment [Moskal-2018] ............................................... 32 3.1.5 Cyber-Physical Simulation [Niu-2015] ...................................................... 33 3.1.6 Gamified Learning Simulation [Gallagher-2017 and Morton-2018] .......... 34 3.1.7 Breach and Attack Simulation [SafeBreach-2017] ................................... 35 3.2 CSSE Specific Attributes Enumeration Template for Security Posture Applications .................................................................................................. 36 3.2.1 Assessing Security Posture Specific Issues............................................. 37 3.2.2 Assessing Most Security Posture Issues ................................................. 39 3.2.2.1 Protection as the Only Key Security Posture Issue .............................. 41 3.2.3 Attributes Enumeration Template for Security Posture Assessment CSSE ....................................................................................................... 43 3.3 To Build or Buy a Cyber Range Solution for Security Status Assessment .................................................................................................