Impact Modeling and Prediction of Attacks on Cyber Targets (IMPACT)

Cyber networks are a critical part of the nation’s security. Not only do cyber networks protect critical and sensitive information, they also enable vital functions both in the U.S. and abroad, in the military as well as in the commercial realm and are therefore a valuable target for international and domestic adversaries. Systems administrators and analysts are faced with a near-impossible task of defending its cyber assets and the processes that depend on them. Given the difficulty of fully protecting large-scale networks through standard hardening techniques, network administrators require advanced security methods to support the detection and analysis of intrusions on their networks. To meet this need, 21st Century Technologies (21CT) proposes IMPACT, a solution providing immediate attack prediction capabilities and impact assessment that scales to infrastructures the size of the U.S. Military’s systems. IMPACT will give analysts the capability required to define critical targets, enemy attack strategies, and given the current state of attack, the measure of detriment to Air Force missions. The proposed solution will specifically answer whether the attack or an attempt to disarm the attacker will affect the ability to hit targets or compromising soldier’s lives. This level of situational awareness is paramount to this effort