A Cyber-Physical System (CPS) is an engineered physical system with a significantcybercomponent and consists of many interacting distributed cyber and physicalcomponents. CPSs are deployed in critical applications, such as advanced power electronics ina green electric power system, vehicles in an automated highway system, distributed aircraftnavigation systems, chemical process plants, and consumer components of a smart house inwhich correct operation is paramount. Unintended or misunderstood interactions among thecomponents of a CPS cause unpredictable behavior, leading to serious errors. While eachcomponent may independently function correctly, their composition may yield incorrectnessdue to Interference. Interference that violates correctness or security is well-understood inthe purely software (cyber) domain. In the CPS domain, interference is much less understood.Security and confidentiality problems are particularly vexing. Attacks such as Stuxnet showhow formal security properties can be violated through physical interference with the cybercomponents. To add to the difficulty, CPS security is difficult to specify in terms of traditional“high” and “low” security.This talk presents an interpretation of formal information flow properties and interferencewithin the context of a cyber-physical system, blending both physical and cyber informationflow properties across multiple security domains. This poses the deep scientific question: howto make such systems secure and correct? Location: Clinton, Mississippi
