Method for prioritizing cybersecurity measures in technological systems of industrial critical infrastructure facilities to counter destructive cyberattacks under resource constraints

This paper addresses the problem of ensuring the reliable functioning of technological systems of industrial critical infrastructure facilities under conditions of limited resources and continuously increasing cyber threats. Under the influence of ongoing military and socio-economic factors, the resource provision of industrial critical infrastructure facilities tends to decrease, which necessitates the optimization of available resource allocation for the implementation of cybersecurity measures, particularly with respect to such a critically important component as the technological system. The study is aimed at defining the role and place of the proposed method, as well as providing its step-by-step description through a coherent and structured algorithm for prioritizing cybersecurity measures in technological systems of industrial critical infrastructure facilities to counter destructive cyberattacks under resource constraints. The proposed approaches are based on the principles of resource management theory and elements of operations research (in particular, problems of allocation, prioritization, and optimization of limited resources). In addition, the method enables informed managerial decision-making in the field of cybersecurity of technological systems under conditions of uncertainty. As a mathematical tool for one of the key sub-stages of the method, which allows modeling potential destructive cyberattacks on technological system assets, simulation-analytical structural modeling using Colored Petri Nets is employed. To address tasks of individual sub-stages associated with decision-making under uncertainty, the PERT approach is applied. The practical value of the method lies in its applicability for supporting managerial decision-making during the development of cybersecurity implementation plans aimed at countering destructive cyberattacks on technological systems of industrial critical infrastructure facilities over a planning period. Thus, the method takes into account a set of real-world practical factors that are essential for identifying the most resource-efficient and effective cybersecurity measures to counter destructive cyberattacks on technological systems of industrial critical infrastructure under resource constraints, while also ensuring the justification and proper documentation of the decisions made.