Modelling cyber resilience in a water treatment and distribution system. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Patriarca, Riccardo; Simone, Francesco; Di Gravio, Giulio
• Is Part Of: Reliability engineering & system safety. Volume 226(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Cyber-socio-technical systems -- Resilience management -- Critical infrastructure -- Water treatment plant -- Water distribution network; Reliability (Engineering) -- Periodicals; System safety -- Periodicals; Industrial safety -- Periodicals; Fiabilité -- Périodiques; Sécurité des systèmes -- Périodiques; Sécurité du travail -- Périodiques; 620.00452
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2022.108653
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-8320

Abstract

Highlights: A simulation-based methodology to assess cyber resilience in water supply systems. A joint resilience analysis of a water treatment plant and its distribution network. An integrated MATLAB/EPANET model based on Monte Carlo simulation. Four metrics to assess attack's impact in terms of water quality and quantity. A statistical analysis of cyber resilience indicators to support decision-making. Abstract: Considering the increasing introduction of cyber-physical systems in modern industrial plants, the analysis of systems' performance pushes for developing a cyber resilience perspective to complement a traditional physical resilience assessment. This point of view becomes central for critical infrastructures, considering the potential societal and economic consequences a disruption may have. This work provides a cyber-resilience simulation-based assessment for a seawater desalination plant and its connected distribution system. For this purpose, a digital twin has been developed. It integrates a MATLAB/Simulink model of the reverse osmosis treatment plant with a georeferenced water distribution network designed in EPANET. Four stochastic cyber resilience metrics have been proposed and computed to assess the impact of a successful replay cyber attack. The results exemplify the benefits of cyber-physical simulations to understand the behavior of modern water treatment plants, to identify system's criticalities, and eventually to support decision making by identifying hotspots and prioritizing mitigating actions.