Security Assessment for Dependable Systems-of-Systems

Systems-of-systems are composed ofheterogeneous independent systems interconnected tosupply a global service. They rely on communication inorder to exchange information and to deliver theirservices. If dependability is required for such systems oneshould consider security as well.In such a system, if certain nodes (systems) have beencompromised, the attack could be directed by thecommunication links from a compromised node to its‘neighbors’ in the attempt to compromise the entiresystem. Such an attack would try not to trigger theintrusion detection mechanisms integrated in the system.In this paper we analyze the impact of securityvulnerabilities in case of system-of-systems. Someexamples are given to support the need for security incomplex systems which integrate independentheterogeneous systems. Solutions are proposed forsecurity breach detection mechanisms and then for theevaluation of such mechanisms.