Modeling The Secure Boot Protocol Using Actor Network Theory

Abstract

We propose a framework for modeling and analyzing the security of cyber-physical systems, in particular the security properties of a Secure Boot protocol. By reviewing the history of safety in Aviation & Urban Development, we observe how their safety systems matured and identify key factors for their success such as economic incentives, investments in to obtain a deep understanding of a system’s components, the ability to scale and the rigorous definition & analysis of objectives. Cyber-physical systems are hindered by the lack of rigorous models to express and analyze security objectives. Based on previous works of formal Actor Networks from Computer Science and informal Actor Network Theory from Sociology, we propose a mathematical framework to model cyber-physical protocols and analyze their security properties while keeping the interactions, in particular the physical interactions, flexible. Finally, the thesis develops four Actor Network models and analyzes security properties of a Secure Boot protocol.