SoK: Autonomic Computing Based Mehods for ICS/SCADA and IIoT Security

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) stand out as a prime target for global attackers due to their critical role in many nation's infrastructure. The autonomy and proactive nature of autonomic systems make them inherently preventive, acting as a barrier against potential threats. Autonomic Computing (AC) as a term was coined in the early 2000s, inspired by the human nervous system, which aims to keep the growing complexity of managing Information Technology (IT) assets under control by designing systems to be less human dependent. Traditionally, Operational Technology (OT) has been isolated and self-contained, however the last decade has witnessed the convergence of IT and OT networks. Operational technology networks and assets have different requirements and priorities in terms of safety and security. Application of Autonomic Computing to OT/ICS systems has not been explored in detail in the literature. This Systematization of Knowledge (SoK) survey provides insight into this specific field, identifies and discusses previous work, and discusses potential future research opportunities on how Autonomic Computing methods could be applied to secure ICS/SCADA networks.