Establishing and Maintaining Trust for an Airborne Network

Fast, efficient distributed computing enables more capable aircraft avionics. However, distributed systems face distributed threats. These threats can only be countered with a distributed trustworthiness architecture that measures and enforces trust across a network. We propose to a) create a method for attaching a trust index to each node in a real-time network, and then b) enforce communication control based on that trust index. This design thus provides direct security control based on distributed trust. We propose two different components of trust: an a priori component, which classifies a node before it joins the network, and a dynamic component, which is updated depending on the node"s behavior while communicating. Together, these components give a clear picture of the trustworthiness of an operating node in the environment. We will next implement a distributed trust-enforcement framework within the most important emerging communications standard for military systems. This is no abstract research project. RTI has achieved the highest SBIR Commercialization Achievement Index (CAI) rating of 100%. The proposed work will create a practical trust architecture, ready for implementation and eventual standardization. The standards-based trustworthiness infrastructure will mitigate the risk of cyber attacks for many real-world applications, including the multi-service MADL airborne network. BENEFIT: The proposed Phase I effort will result in the capability of isolating airborne nodes that either do not join the network with the right trust index or start misbehaving due to cyber attacks. The proposed infrastructure will provide an automated mechanism for updating nodes'trust index based on their behavior monitored by the network. Such a system would be scalable and extensible to dynamic conditions, and is geared for the modern warfare challenges faced by the US Air Force. RTI will aggressively market the results of this research. We plan to incorporate this work as part of our standard product offering. Along with selling to our traditional aerospace and defense customer base, RTI sees huge potential in other commercial markets. Sophisticated distributed-system customers, particularly in the power systems, pipeline, industrial control, and water and waste management industries, will be receptive early adopters to new trusted technologies to secure SCADA systems.