TY - GEN
T1 - Enhancing the Reliability of a Contamination Detection Sensors' Network in Water Distribution Systems during a Cyber-Attack
AU - Abhijith, Gopinathan R.
AU - Salomons, Elad
AU - Ostfeld, Avi
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023.All rights reserved
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Water distribution systems (WDS) are critical to delivering clean, healthy water at the required quantities and qualities. They are exposed to different kinds of attacks, both physical and cyber, as well as accidental contamination events. In the past years, several events occurred in which contaminants polluted the drinking water. Most of the cases were accidental, but there had also been criminal acts involved. Placing water quality monitoring sensors in designated locations throughout the WDS is considered one of the most effective protection methods for coping with deliberate or occasional water quality contamination intrusions. Sensors, which comprise the water quality monitoring system, communicate over a cyberinfrastructure layer (via radio, cellular, satellite, or wire) and, as such, are exposed to cyber-attacks. Traditionally, sensor placement methodologies included objective functions such as the polluted volume of water consumed or the time for the first detection of possible pollution. However, so far, water quality sensor placement algorithms and tools have not considered cases where the sensor network itself is attacked or malfunctions in a way that part of its components is deactivated. In this study, we propose to develop and demonstrate a methodology for evaluating the impact of a cyber-attack on a sensor network compromising part of its functionality. Our proof-of-concept, using a simple network and straightforward cyber-attack scenario, has revealed potential in analyzing the performance of sensor networks under attack and can provide valuable information for decision-makers in the water utilities and regulators.
AB - Water distribution systems (WDS) are critical to delivering clean, healthy water at the required quantities and qualities. They are exposed to different kinds of attacks, both physical and cyber, as well as accidental contamination events. In the past years, several events occurred in which contaminants polluted the drinking water. Most of the cases were accidental, but there had also been criminal acts involved. Placing water quality monitoring sensors in designated locations throughout the WDS is considered one of the most effective protection methods for coping with deliberate or occasional water quality contamination intrusions. Sensors, which comprise the water quality monitoring system, communicate over a cyberinfrastructure layer (via radio, cellular, satellite, or wire) and, as such, are exposed to cyber-attacks. Traditionally, sensor placement methodologies included objective functions such as the polluted volume of water consumed or the time for the first detection of possible pollution. However, so far, water quality sensor placement algorithms and tools have not considered cases where the sensor network itself is attacked or malfunctions in a way that part of its components is deactivated. In this study, we propose to develop and demonstrate a methodology for evaluating the impact of a cyber-attack on a sensor network compromising part of its functionality. Our proof-of-concept, using a simple network and straightforward cyber-attack scenario, has revealed potential in analyzing the performance of sensor networks under attack and can provide valuable information for decision-makers in the water utilities and regulators.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160936439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484852.001
DO - https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784484852.001
M3 - Conference contribution
T3 - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023: Adaptive Planning and Design in an Age of Risk and Uncertainty - Selected Papers from World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023
SP - 1
EP - 12
BT - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023
A2 - Ahmad, Sajjad
A2 - Murray, Regan
PB - American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
T2 - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2023: Adaptive Planning and Design in an Age of Risk and Uncertainty
Y2 - 21 May 2023 through 25 May 2023
ER -