Evader interdiction: algorithms, complexity and collateral damage

Evader Interdiction and Collateral Damage

In network interdiction problems, evaders (e.g., hostile agents or data packets) may be moving through a network towards targets and we wish to choose locations for sensors in order to intercept the evaders before they reach their destinations. The evaders might follow deterministic routes or Markov chains, or they may be reactive, i.e., able to change their routes in order to avoid sensors pla...

Interdiction of a Markovian Evader

Shortest path network interdiction is a combinatorial optimization problem on an activity network arising in a number of important security-related applications. It is classically formulated as a bilevel maximin problem representing an “interdictor” and an “evader”. The evader tries to move from a source node to the target node along a path of the least cost while the interdictor attempts to fr...

Collateral Damage

Parameterized Complexity of Edge Interdiction Problems

We study the parameterized complexity of graph interdiction problems. For an optimization problem on graphs, one can formulate an interdiction problem as a game consisting of two players, namely, an interdictor and an evader, who compete on an objective with opposing interests. In edge interdiction problems, every edge of the input graph has an interdiction cost associated with it and the inter...

Understanding Cyber Collateral Damage

INTRODUCTION In conventional (kinetic) U.S. warfare, there exists a standard methodology for identifying and assessing collateral damage (i.e. accidental damage to civilian targets). Indeed, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) relies on a governing document that defines the policy regarding unlawful military targets (no-strike targets), and methods for estimating collateral damage from kinetic...