A Comprehensive Framework to Simulate Network Attacks and Challenges

Abstract

Communication networks have evolved tremendously over the past several decades, offering a multitude of services while becoming an essential critical infrastructure in our daily lives. Networks in general, and the Internet in particular face a number of challenges to normal operation, including attacks and large-scale disasters, as well as due to the characteristics of the mobile wireless communication environment. It is therefore vital to have a framework and methodology for understanding the impact of challenges to harden current networks and improve the design of future networks. In this paper, we present a framework to evaluate network dependability and performability in the face of challenges. This framework uses ns-3 simulation as the methodology for analysis of the effects of perturbations to normal operation of the networks, with a challenge specification applied to the network topology. This framework can simulate both static and dynamic challenges based on the failure or wireless-impairment of individual components, as well as modelling geographically-correlated failures. We demonstrate this framework with the Sprint Rocketfuel and synthetically generated topologies as well as a wireless example, to show that this framework can provide valuable insight for the analysis and design of resilient networks.

Meeting Name

2010 International Congress on Ultra Modern Telecommunications and Control Systems and Workshops, ICUMT 2010 (2010: Oct. 18-20, Moscow, Russia)

Department(s)

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsor(s)

National Science Foundation (U.S.)
European Commission

Keywords and Phrases

3 Simulations; Analysis and Design; Challenge; Attack; Disaster; Correlated Failure; Communication Networks; Daily Lives; Future Networks; Individual Components; Mobile Wireless Communications; Network Attack; Network Topology; Network Topology; Critical Infrastructure; Normal Operations; Performability; Resilient Networks; Static and Dynamic; Computer Crime; Control Systems; Critical Infrastructures; Electric Network Topology; Internet; Public Works; Wireless Telecommunication Systems; Computer Simulation

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-1424472857

Electronic OCLC #

716299342

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2010 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2010

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