📶 ITCS401: Cyber‑Physical Systems Security

🎯 Learning Outcomes (Part 2)

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

• Define Internet of Things (IoT).
• Differentiate between CPS and IoT.
• Explain the IoT architecture.
• Identify some looming problems in IoT and CPS.

📡 Definition of IoT

Key characteristics:

• Interconnectivity – anything can be connected.
• Heterogeneity – diverse devices and technologies.
• Dynamic changes – devices can appear/disappear, change state.
• Scalability – huge number of devices.

🏥 Example: health / motion sensors

Motion sensors, electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors connected to the internet, sending data to cloud.

🏡 Smart home / city scenario

Multiple heterogeneous devices (lights, thermostats, security cameras) communicating via internet and local gateways.

🏗️ IoT Architecture (layered view)

Fog/Edge devices: gateway‑layer devices close to end users (routers, gateways) with more storage/compute than edge devices.

Edge devices: end‑user constrained devices (smart watches, TVs, phones).

🔁 CPS versus IoT – high level

Similarities: both involve sensors, actuators, communication, control.

Differences: CPS focuses more on tight cyber‑physical integration and control loops (often real‑time), while IoT emphasizes connectivity, internetworking, and data exchange among “things”.

Diagram elements: Sensors (e.g., XM1000, IEEE 802.15.4 radio), gateway, internet, servers.

🔌 Sensors (input) and Actuators (output)

Sensors types:

• Passive, omnidirectional (e.g., microphone).
• Passive, narrow‑beam (e.g., PIR motion sensor).
• Active sensors (e.g., sonar, radar).

Actuators: alter the environment – add light/heat/sound, control motors, display messages.

📦 Anatomy of a “Thing”

Four main parts: sensors & actuators, microcontroller, communication unit, power supply.

Properties:

• Battery‑powered → limited energy.
• Small size, low cost → limited computing capability.
• Doesn’t perform complicated tasks.
• Power consumption is the main design issue.

📡 Communication in IoT

Role: data link between nodes.

Types: wired (copper, fiber) and wireless (RF, infrared).

Popular RF solutions:

• IEEE 802.15.4 (low‑power mesh)
• IEEE 802.11 (Wi‑Fi)
• Bluetooth
• Near Field Communication (NFC) – e.g., RFID

🌐 Role of Networks

• Managing nodes (discovery, join, leave).
• Relaying packets from source to destination.
• Distributed system – all nodes perform networking tasks.

Examples of RF‑based multi‑hop networks:

• Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)
• Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs)
• Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs)
• Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs)

Main concern: reliability & performance.

🌍 Internet & Gateway role

The Internet serves as wide‑area networking for local networks. Things must support TCP/IP.

Gateway (sink): relays packets between the local network and the Internet.

⚠️ Major security issues

• Data breaches: large‑scale, long‑term distributed data – attackers sell/hoard personal info.
• Malware: CPS has tight time horizons; attackers have broad surfaces.
• Example: Jeep remote hijack (2015) – hacked via entertainment system.

🔓 Top Ten Device Vulnerabilities (OWASP)

1. Insecure Web Interface
2. Insufficient Authentication/Authorization
3. Insecure Network Services
4. Lack of Transport Encryption
5. Privacy Concerns (Data Collection)
6. Insecure Cloud Interface
7. Insecure Mobile Interface
8. Insufficient Security Configuration
9. Insecure Software/Firmware Updates
10. Poor Physical Security

Trusting device end‑points is hard.

📝 Practice Questions (detailed)

1. Q1: Internet of Things (IoT) is best defined as:
   A. A network of computers connected to the Internet
   B. A network of physical objects embedded with sensors, actuators, software, and connectivity ✓
   C. A cloud‑based computing platform only
   D. A traditional wireless sensor network
2. Q2: In IoT, the term “things” refers to:
   A. Only smartphones and laptops
   B. Cloud servers
   C. Physical devices with sensing and actuating capabilities ✓
   D. Software applications
3. Q3: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of IoT?
   A. Interconnectivity
   B. Heterogeneity
   C. Dynamic changes
   D. Static configuration ✓
4. Q4: Which layer of IoT architecture contains servers and cloud‑based infrastructure?
   A. Device Layer
   B. Gateway Layer
   C. Cloud Layer ✓
   D. Sensor–Actuator Layer
5. Q5: The Gateway Layer in IoT architecture primarily:
   A. Performs sensing and actuation
   B. Acts as an intermediary between devices and the cloud ✓
   C. Stores user data permanently
   D. Replaces the Internet
6. Q6: Which communication technology is commonly used in IoT?
   A. HDMI
   B. IEEE 802.15.4 ✓
   C. SATA
   D. VGA

📌 Chapter 1 – Part 2: All points covered