Modeling Host OSI Layers Cyber-Attacks Using System Dynamics

Cyber security modeling is the process of creating a normalized view of the cyber security situation. A typical cyber security model has information about the network infrastructure, security settings, and a list of possible vulnerabilities and threats. By using known vulnerabilities, and information about the infrastructure and security controls in place, the cyber security simulation allows an organization to imitate the attacker activities and helps to assess the system’s risk exposure. Networks are normally modeled or simulated through discrete-event techniques. But the discreteevent simulations can only simulate a few seconds worth of network operations and the primary focus of discrete-event models is on packet traffic. This means that cyberattacks/defenses are viewed from the network layer, layer 3, in the OSI model. This obscures more insidious attacks at higher layers in the OSI model. This paper presents a study which models a computer network as a systems dynamic model to explore more insidious cyber-attacks and the resulting systemlevel effects that might occur on host OSI layers, layer 4 and above, in the OSI model.