Initial Reference Architecture of an Intelligent Autonomous Agent for Cyber Defense
Abstract
This report describes an initial reference architecture for intelligent software agents performing active, largely autonomous cyber defense actions on military networks of computing and communicating devices. The report is produced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Research Task Group (RTG) IST-152 Intelligent Autonomous Agents for Cyber Defense and Resilience. In a conflict with a technically sophisticated adversary, NATO military tactical networks will operate in a heavily contested battlefield. Enemy software cyber agents malware will infiltrate friendly networks and attack friendly command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and computerized weapon systems. To fight them, NATO needs artificial cyber hunters intelligent, autonomous, mobile agents specialized in active cyber defense. With this in mind, in 2016, NATO initiated RTG IST-152. Its objective is to help accelerate development and transition to practice of such software agents by producing a reference architecture and technical roadmap. This report presents the concept and architecture of an Autonomous Intelligent Cyber Defense Agent (AICA). We describe the rationale of the AICA concept, explain the methodology and purpose that drive the definition of the AICA Reference Architecture, and review some of the main features and challenges of the AICA.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 21, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1049300
Entities
People
- Agostino Panico
- Alexander S. Kott
- Benoit Leblanc
- Edlira Dushku
- Heiko Guenther
- Krzysztof Rzadca
- Luigi V. Mancini
- Markus Kont
- Martin Drasar
- Mauno Pihelgas
- Paul Theron
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory