On Fast and Approximate Attack Tree Computations

In this paper we address the problem of inefficiency of exact attack tree computations. We propose several implementation-level optimizations and introduce a genetic algorithm for fast approximate computations. Our experiments show that for attack trees having less than 30 leaves, the confidence level of 89% can be achieved within 2 seconds using this algorithm. The approximation scales very well and attack trees of practical size (up to 100 leaves) can be analyzed within a few minutes.

[1]  Tharam S. Dillon,et al.  On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems, OTM 2010 , 2010, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[2]  Ahto Buldas,et al.  Practical Security Analysis of E-Voting Systems , 2007, IWSEC.

[3]  Jan Willemson,et al.  Serial Model for Attack Tree Computations , 2009, ICISC.

[4]  E. Byres,et al.  The Use of Attack Trees in Assessing Vulnerabilities in SCADA Systems , 2004 .

[5]  Jeanne H. Espedalen.  Attack Trees Describing Security in Distributed Internet-Enabled Metrology , 2007 .

[6]  Bruce Schneier,et al.  Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World , 2000 .

[7]  W E Vesely,et al.  Fault Tree Handbook , 1987 .

[8]  Konstantin Kutzkov,et al.  New upper bound for the #3-SAT problem , 2007, Inf. Process. Lett..

[9]  Donald W. Loveland,et al.  A machine program for theorem-proving , 2011, CACM.

[10]  Jan Willemson,et al.  Rational Choice of Security Measures Via Multi-parameter Attack Trees , 2006, CRITIS.

[11]  Kai Rannenberg,et al.  Advances in Information and Computer Security, Second International Workshop on Security, IWSEC 2007, Nara, Japan, October 29-31, 2007, Proceedings , 2007, IWSEC.

[12]  Richard A. Raines,et al.  A framework for analyzing and mitigating the vulnerabilities of complex systems via attack and protection trees , 2007 .

[13]  Seungjoo Kim,et al.  Information Security and Cryptology - ICISC 2005 , 2005, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[14]  Zahir Tari,et al.  On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: OTM 2008 , 2008, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[15]  Jeffrey D. Smith,et al.  Design and Analysis of Algorithms , 2009, Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

[16]  David E. Goldberg,et al.  Genetic Algorithms in Search Optimization and Machine Learning , 1988 .

[17]  Andrew P. Moore,et al.  Attack Modeling for Information Security and Survivability , 2001 .

[18]  Jan Willemson,et al.  Processing Multi-parameter Attacktrees with Estimated Parameter Values , 2007, IWSEC.

[19]  Jan Willemson,et al.  Computing Exact Outcomes of Multi-parameter Attack Trees , 2008, OTM Conferences.

[20]  D. Pinto.  Secrets and Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World , 2003 .

[21]  Sean Convery,et al.  An Attack Tree for the Border Gateway Protocol , 2003 .

[22]  Sjouke Mauw,et al.  Foundations of Attack Trees , 2005, ICISC.