2019 ICS Cyber Security Conference | USA

The Air Force Institute of Technology's (AFIT) work continues on developing a reliable non-intrusive, non-operably connected PHY-based security augmentation for IoT, IIoT, ICS/SCADA, and general wireless sensor applications. The successful demonstration and historical maturation of Distinct Native Attribute (DNA) Fingerprinting methods has led to a patent-pending DNA cyber security monitoring capability supporting both pre-attack defense and post-attack forensic objectives. The monitoring system foundation is derived from wired Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) signal work in, with favorable results therein motivating the more recent WirelessHART work being reported upon here. The goal is reliable DNA-based discriminability of device hardware (cross-manufacturer, cross-model, and like-model serial number) and/or device operating state (normal vs. anomalous). The PHY-based physical-layer work here is of particular interest given that a majority of WirelessHART security mechanisms (some would argue all) are implemented exclusively within higher bit-level network layers using some of the same protection mechanisms commonly attacked in IT systems. Most recent results for WirelessHART are sufficiently favorable to motivate continued investigation and include better than 90% 8-class device discrimination of Sitrans AW210 and Pepperl+Fuchs Bullet adapters.