Identification of Cyber Attacks on Water Distribution Systems by Unveiling Low-Dimensionality in the Sensory Data

Service quality and efficiency of urban systems have been dramatically boosted by various high technologies for real-time monitoring and remote control, and have also gained privileged space in water distribution. Monitored hydraulic and quality parameters are crucial data for developing planning, operation and security analyses in water networks, which makes them increasingly reliable. However, devices for monitoring and remote control also increase the possibilities for failure and cyber-attacks in the systems, which can severely impair the system operation and, in extreme cases, collapse the service. This paper proposes an automatic two-step methodology for cyber-attack detection in water distribution systems. The first step is based on signal-processing theory, and applies a fast Independent Component Analysis (fastICA) algorithm to hydraulic time series (e.g., pressure, flow, and tank level), which separates them into independent components. These components are then processed by a statistical control algorithm for automatic detection of abrupt changes, from which attacks may be disclosed. The methodology is applied to the case study provided by the Battle of Attack Detection Algorithms (BATADAL) and the results are compared with seven other approaches, showing excellent results, which makes this methodology a reliable early-warning cyber-attack detection approach.

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Disclosing Cyber Attacks on Water Distribution Systems. An Experimental Approach to the Sonification of Threats and Anomalous Data

Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD 2019) ◽

10.21785/icad2019.044 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Lenzi ◽

Ginevra Terenghi ◽

Riccardo Taormina ◽

Stefano Galelli ◽

Paolo Ciuccarelli

Keyword(s):

Distribution Systems ◽

Water Distribution ◽

Information Overload ◽

Water Distribution Systems ◽

Detection Algorithm ◽

Anomalous Behavior ◽

Attack Detection ◽

Cyber Attacks ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Human Operators

Water distribution systems are undergoing a process of intensive digitalization, adopting networked devices for monitoring and control. While this transition improves efficiency and reliability, these infrastructures are increasingly exposed to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks engender anomalous system behaviors which can be detected by data-driven algorithms monitoring sensors readings to disclose the presence of potential threats. At the same time, the use of sonification in real time process monitoring has grown in importance as a valid alternative to avoid information overload and allowing peripheral monitoring. Our project aims to design a sonification system allowing human operators to take better decisions on anomalous behavior while occupied in other (mainly visual) tasks. Using a state-of-the-art detection algorithm and data sets from the Battle of the Attack Detection Algorithms, a series of sonification prototypes were designed and tested in the real world. This paper illustrates the design process and the experimental data collected, as well results and plans for future steps.

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