About the project
This PhD project leverages Digital Twin technology for cybersecurity in Critical National Infrastructure, focusing on real-time cyberattack monitoring and Operational Technology security. By creating secure digital replicas of physical systems, the research aims to enhance Critical national infrastructure resilience and offer a proactive defence strategy against potential cyber threats.
This PhD project explores the potential of Digital Twin technology for enhancing cybersecurity within Critical National Infrastructures (CNI). Traditional bug bounty programs, which reward individuals for identifying vulnerabilities, are effective for many organizations but unsuitable for CNI due to their sensitive and mission-critical nature. CNI disruption could severely impact national security and daily operations, highlighting the need for innovative defence strategies.
The project draws on Digital Twins—cyber replicas of physical systems that enable secure testing and analysis without risking the actual infrastructure. Digital Twins have shown promise in areas like smart transportation but remain underutilized for security purposes, especially in protecting CNI. This research will address key cybersecurity challenges in using Digital Twins, including scalability, real-time adaptability, and integration with legacy systems.
The objectives for this project are:
- exploring how Digital Twins can mitigate cyberattacks in CNI by providing real-time, two-way monitoring of system vulnerabilities
- developing methods for Operational Technology security by analyzing attacker behaviour in simulated environments.
This project aims to position system administrators ahead of malicious actors by leveraging digital twins, offering a proactive approach to securing critical infrastructure.
Supervisors
You will also be supervised by organisations other than the University of Southampton, including Naghmeh Moradpoor Sheykhkanloo from Edinburgh Napier University.
