INDIRECT CYBER ATTACK ON PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

Abstract

Cybersecurity modeling is the procedure of developing a standardized perspective of the cybersecurity situation. A typical cybersecurity model includes details about the network's infrastructure, security configurations, and a list of potential vulnerabilities and threats. The cybersecurity simulation allows an organization to imitate attacker activities and assess the system's risk exposure by utilizing information about the infrastructure and security controls in place, as well as known vulnerabilities. Discrete-event simulation (DES) techniques are typically used to model or simulate networks. However, DES models are primarily concerned with packet traffic. This means that cyberattacks and defenses are viewed from the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model's layer 3 (network layer). This conceals sneakier attacks, particularly indirect attacks on higher OSI model layers (session, presentation, and application layers). System dynamics (SD) is a method for comprehending how systems evolve over time. A typical SD study seeks to understand how system components interact, how and why the dynamics of concern emerge, and how policies and decisions influence system performance. This research presents a study that models a computer network as a system dynamics model to investigate indirect cyberattacks and the resulting effects that may occur on the cooperating web applications.