Multi-Attacker Multi-Defender Interaction in mMTC Networks Via Differential Game

Massive machine type communications (mMTC) scenario, as one of the typical application scenarios of the fifth generation (5G) and beyond, introduces numerous communication terminals into networks, which inflicts the expansion of network attack surface, and poses tremendous challenges to network security. Different from single attacker and single defender interaction, a large volume of terminals in mMTC scenario may form attack or defense alliances, i.e., the interaction exists between multiple attackers and multiple defenders. This paper focuses on the multi-attacker multi-defender interaction in the mMTC scenario. Firstly, a non-zero-sum multi-attacker and multi-defender differential game model is formulated, considering attack and defense alliances, the dynamics and continuity of network interaction and the real-time strategy selection. Then, an optimal multi-attacker and multi-defender strategy selection algorithm is proposed by the introduction of Hamilton functions, based on which the optimal saddle point strategy is obtained. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the evolution of the optimal attack and defense strategies and show the impact of cost coefficient in the proposed differential game model on the attack and defense evolution. It is revealed that both alliances tend to be preemptive and the alliances will appropriately increase the intensity of attack and defense as the cost increases.