Session 1.3d Update: Supporting Mission Assurance and Securing Autonomous Systems through Cyber-worthiness Principles
Tracks
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| Tuesday, November 14, 2023 |
| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Nicholls Theatre |
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Technology in Australia is evolving and we are seeing a natural convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) concepts. As the demand for autonomy in systems increases, gradually removing humans from the decision-making process, it is critical to emphasise the need for wholly assured resilient systems. Compounded with this, unlike a traditional system where the platform/crew of the capability are developed and evaluated, the platform in an autonomous system is responsible for all operations. Therefore, the software of the platform is explicitly linked to the safety of that system; when actions are driven by 1’s and 0’s within lines of code, the potential to steer a ship into a catastrophic event or instruct a helicopter to shut off enabling systems is inherently greater. Cyber-worthiness principles can inform trust and assurance methods to help secure autonomous systems used in support of military operations.
This presentation explores the development of processes for the application of cyber-worthiness principles—the concept of developing a system that can defend against cyber intrusions within a given mission context—and its application within an overall mission assurance context. We discuss the importance of the mounting of a safety case for an autonomous platform, and how lessons learnt from the IT side of the IT/OT divide can be applied and tailored for mission critical systems.
Speaker/s
Mr Iain Dickson
Full Spectrum Cyber Practice Lead
Leidos
Full Spectrum Cyber Practice Lead, Leidos Australia Iain is the Full Spectrum Cyber Practice Lead for Leidos Australia, providing oversight and support to all of Leidos’ Australian programs for cyber security including its military platform work. Iain has previously worked as a Cyber Research Engineer and an Assistant Director for Cyber Threat Intelligence within the Federal Government. Iain is one of the founders of ComfyCon AU, a virtual conference founded in response to the cancellation of cyber security conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
