Cumulus: A Cloud-Based Internet of Things Testing Platform

The proliferation of network-connected edge devices, systems, and applications comprising the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming every industry. IoT security testing, however, has not kept pace with the rapid innovation and deployment of IoT systems and applications. Air Force and DoD Acquisition processes involve stringent requirements for system testing. How should the Air Force, government entities, and industry assess and mitigate cyber risk in IoT systems? Practical tools are needed to evaluate the operational security of IoT systems.  To meet this need, Grier proposes design and development of Cumulus, an extensible, cloud-based framework for IoT Testing. Cumulus automates the continuous test and integration pipeline for IoT systems, mapping multiple testing paradigms to each stage of the DoD Acquisition Lifecycle, streamlining IoT testing procedures. Cumulus includes first-class support for hardware-in-the-loop, digital twins, and modeling/simulation capabilities, leveraging the capabilities of commercial Cloud IoT platforms.  Cumulus is an extensible test framework built on the cloud, extracting common IoT patterns and testing approaches, minimizing the effort needed to meet DoD acquisition and system testing requirements. Cumulus provides end-to-end DevSecOps for IoT systems of any scale, supporting cyber vulnerability assessment, risk mitigation, and operational validation of IoT devices, networks, and systems.