Security of Critical Infrastructure Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)

Critical infrastructure systems—such as power grids, transportation networks, water treatment facilities, and industrial automation platforms—are increasingly interconnected, automated, and data-driven. This evolution has transformed them into complex cyber-physical systems (CPS) with tightly coupled digital and physical components. While this integration enhances efficiency and real-time control, it also exposes critical assets to new classes of cyber threats capable of causing systemic disruption, physical damage, or large-scale service failures. This talk presents a CPS-oriented perspective on securing critical infrastructure, emphasizing the unique risks that emerge from sensing, actuation, communication, and control loops. I will discuss recent attack patterns—including sensor spoofing, command injection, and coordinated cyber-physical attacks—along with the cascading effects these threats can trigger across dependent subsystems. The presentation outlines a structured methodology for threat modeling in CPS, highlights detection and response challenges, and showcases practical strategies leveraging AI-driven analytics, resilient control design, and intrusion-tolerant architectures. The session aims to provide a holistic understanding of how modern critical infrastructures can be hardened against next-generation cyber-physical adversaries while maintaining safety, reliability, and mission-critical performance.