Cyber threats to industrial sites handling hazardous materials (e.g. chemical plants, oil & gas, energy) pose severe risks, potentially triggering cascading events with significant harm to people, assets, and national resilience—as shown by the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack. Malicious control system attacks can disrupt operations, damage infrastructure, and threaten safety. Addressing these risks requires approaches beyond traditional IT security, as emphasized by the proposed EU NIS2 and CER Directives. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has further highlighted how critical infrastructures are prime targets for state-sponsored and hacktivist cyber-attacks. Yet, current literature lacks targeted solutions. This project aims to develop a toolbox to support Incident Response Systems (IRS) against cyber threats, enabling early threat detection, rapid response, and increased resilience. It includes multi-criteria approaches addressing safety, reliability, and cost, and models cyber-physical dynamics under corrupted control systems. Key outcomes include: (1) identification of threat, hazard, and risk scenarios; (2) prevention via design and countermeasures; (3) improved attack detection and emergency response using models and training; and (4) multi-criteria evaluation of risk and response. A multidisciplinary team will engage stakeholders in third-party evaluation to validate project outcomes.
Elenco dei partner:
- Università "Campus Bio-Medico" di Roma,
- Politecnico di Torino,
- Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
UNIBO research team
Research areas
Sicurezza industriale e sostenibilità ambientale