Creating and sharing knowledge for telecommunications

Talk - Clock synchronisation in CPSs, an example where security and safety meet each other


on 11-10-2017

... Elena Lisova
Malardalen University - Vasteras, Sweden
TTTech - Vienna, Austria

Abstract:
Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are coming where computational and physical capabilities are tightly connected, such a combination allowing different interactions with humans and open up new application areas, such as autonomous vehicles. The nature of such system is heterogeneous including a combination of wired and wireless communications. One more trend nowadays is interconnecting systems and use benefits of their cooperation, such as remote control from a fog or data storage in a cloud.
In such circumstances security of heterogeneous cyber-physical systems becomes a paramount to address, as nowadays system interconnections and heterogeneity open up new vulnerabilities and impose new threats. One of the most critical properties of such systems is related to timing. The majority of them has real-time requirements and follows some kind of
schedule. For event triggered communications, data freshness can be base on its timestamp and consequently to judge about data validity nodes need to interpret the timestamp based on its own time. Messages transactions have deadlines even for non-critical applications, as after some point in time the carried information looses its value. To be able to cope with such deadlines, network participants need to share the same notion of time, i.e., be synchronized. It makes clock synchronization a common essential asset for the vast majority of CPSs. There are several broadly used standards for establishing and maintaining clock synchronization in
CPSs and most of them do not have the necessary level of protection or do not have any security solutions at all. Therefore, rotecting clock synchronization can be considered as an important step on the way to securing heterogeneous CPSs. However, even when the cause of a clock synchronisation breach comes from the security domain, it has direct implications on system safety. If a node in the unsynchronized state cannot propagate timely alarm messages, it causes a failure. Clock synchronization protection influences the safety of CPSs, as considering malicious causes for system hazards changes their probabilities to occur.
Moreover, assurance with respect to predictable communications can be called a missing piece to consider in safety assurance. To sum up, clock synchronization is an excellent example of safety and security overlapping each other to consider and that is what we will do in this talk.
Short bio:
Elena Lisova is a PhD student in the Data Communication group at Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden. Elena received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Radio Engineering from Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia in 2010 and 2012 respectively. In 2014 Elena has started her PhD studies at Mälardalen University. In 2016 she defended her Licentiate thesis entitled "Securing Clock Synchronization in Industrial Heterogeneous Networks". Elena participated in the European Project RetNet, within which she had several research visits and collaborations with the Austrian company TTTech specialising on the TT-Ethernet technology. Elena’s research topic includes network communications, security of timing properties in communications and particularly of clock
synchronization, safety and security analyses overlapping. More Information..

Talk - Smart City: Intelligent Transportation Asset Health and Safety Condition Assessment and Management; New Transportation Ecosystem with Automated and Connected Vehicles


on 06-10-2017

... Yichang (James) Tsai, Ph.D., P.E., Professor
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA

Roadway infrastructures, including pavements, bridges, and signs are deteriorating rapidly due to material aging, improper usage, harsh environments, and damages resulting from natural or man-made hazards. With the advancement of sensor technologies, it become feasible to collect the large-scale in-field detailed infrastructure data, such as 3D pavement surface data, using high-performance cameras, lasers, LiDARs, and Inertial Navigation System (INS) to gain better insight understanding of the large-scale in-filed infrastructure behavior. An intelligent sensing system will be presented, using 2D Imaging, Laser, LiDAR, and GPS/GIS Technologies with artificial intelligent and pattern recognition to automatically detect pavement surface distress, including rutting, cracking, raveling, etc. along with an innovative crack fundamental element (CFE) model that is a topological representation of cracks to support crack classification, diagnosis, and intelligent pavement management. Cases of intelligent roadway health and safety condition assessment, and management will also be presented.
BIO: Dr. James Tsai is a professor of School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and an adjunct professor of School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. After working as a senior research engineer in the Center of GIS at Georgia Tech for 10 years, Dr. Tsai has joined the faculty in School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2007. Dr. Tsai has received his Ph.D. and MS degrees from Georgia Tech in 1994 and 1996 respectively. Dr. Tsai’s research focuses on the development of spatial information and sensing optimization (SISO) methodologies, using 2D imaging, 3D Laser, LiDAR, UAV, mobile devices, and GPS/GIS technologies along with artificial intelligence and pattern recognition; smart city infrastructure; big data analytics; roadway safety; freight/port logistics. Dr. Tsai was selected as a Chinese Changjiang Scholar in 2009, one of the most prestigious scholar’s honor awarded by the Chinese government, in recognition of his research on applying sensor and information technology to infrastructure management. His research project, “Implementation of automatic sign and pavement condition evaluation on Georgia’s interstate highways”, sponsored by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has been competitively selected to receive the 2017 AASHTO High Research Value Award. More Information..