The Hive Mind: Applying a Distributed Security Sensor Network to GENI- GENI Spiral 2 Final Project Report
Sean Peisert, Steven J. Templeton · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · 2013
The$Hive$Mind:$Applying$a$Distributed$Security$Sensor$Network$to$GENI * GENI%Spiral%2%Final%Project%Report% Sean*Peisert*(Principal*Investigator)* [email protected]* Steven*Templeton*(Lead*Software*Architect)* [email protected]* Department*of*Computer*Science* University*of*California,*Davis* http://hivemind.cs.ucdavis.edu* September*4,*2013* Version*1.0* Overview' Security'monitoring'using'a'method'inspired'by'ant'foraging'behavior' Effective*security*event*monitoring*and*response,*without*using*a*significant*amount*of*system* resources*or*otherwise*negatively*impacting*operations*is*a*key*challenge*in*computer*security.* Developing*a*tunable*and*lightweight*method—one*that*autonomously*and*efficiently*coordinates* detection*and*response,*tasking*those*actions*where*they*are*needed,*for*the*needed*situation,* when*they*are*needed—would*be*a*great*improvement*over*the*many*existing*resourceShungry* solutions*such*as*host*and*networkSbased*intrusion*detection*systems*that*in*effect*look*for*all* things,*at*all*times,*in*all*places.*Such*systems*consume*energy,*network*bandwidth,*disk*space,*and* processing*power*that*would*otherwise*be*available*to*support*primary*business*functions,*and* decrease*overall*operating*costs.*Such*“monolithic”*solutions*are*also*particularly*illSsuited*to* wireless*sensor*networks,*control*systems*[Tem11],*network*testbeds*such*as*GENI*[Bis09],*or*any* other*application*where*system*resources*(e.g.,*processor,*battery,*memory,*communications)*are* limited*and*disruption*of*operations,*perhaps*even*slightly,*unacceptable.** Biological*systems*in*nature*have*been*shown*to*find*and*exploit*needed*resources*or*take*needed* actions*efficiently*and*to*do*so*based*on*few*very*simple*rules.*These*systems*are*decentralized;* individuals*operate*autonomously;*and*are*resilient*to*disruption.*Two*examples*are*how* honeybees*direct*other*bees*to*sources*of*pollen,*or*how*termites*build*tower*mounds.* Communication*in*social*insects,*and*in*particular*how*ants*communicate*and*direct*other*ants*to* sites*of*food,*invaders*or*other*needed*antSworld*tasks,*all*served*as*inspiration*for*the*Hive%Mind% monitoring*framework.**However,*as*a*wise*person*once*stated,*the*most*important*element*of* using*a*metaphor*is*the*ability*to*know*when*to*stop*using*the*metaphor.**Therefore,*some*of*the* Copyright*©*2013*Regents*of*the*University*of*California*