ImmunoHopping: Creating New Nature Inspired Cyber Defences

The Internet of Things has great potential to revolutionise the way in which we deploy networked devices, and to provide networking capability to every-day objects, making them 'smart objects'. Security should be at the core of these newly developed smart objects, but innovation is outstripping the development of security in this context. There is much emphasis on the positive side of this technology without considering the negative implications. It is not too challenging to think of many ways how the Internet of Things can be abused letting outsiders in through a digital ruse. This would include intruders gaining access to a lighting system, to remotely switch off the lights in a property, to assist in home burglary. Its also not too far of stretch to imagine an intruder turning on a cooker remotely, with the potential to cause a form of "digital arson" which we have never before experienced. Yes, it is amazing to be able to text your cooker so that dinner is ready when you get home. However, do we really want these features if it leaves us vulnerable to digital attack on our properties?

Vast improvements need to be made in the state of the art of cyber defences in order to prepare and protect ourselves for the imminent innovations in digital technology. Novel and effective solutions in computer based security are imperative to research as current techniques may not prove effective in this new context. In order to create the next generation of cyber defence tools we must look to new sources of inspiration. One of these can be in the form of studying how this problem is solved in natural systems, in particular the defence and response mechanisms of the human immune system.

Artificial immune systems (AIS) are one potential solution which may have significant impact on future cyber defence. They are designed to solve computational problems through studying natural mechanisms in immunology. Current research in AIS for computer security focuses purely on detection of anomalies, leaving the user to respond to the detected threat. Few of these systems actually produce any form of response as a result of detecting a potential intrusion. This is problematic in the Internet of Things as the responsibility would lie with the homeowner who is not a cyber security expert, leaving homes potentially vulnerable to digital intrusions. The novelty of this proposed research is to create a prototype responsive artificial immune system - RAIS, which can both detect intruders and produce appropriate responses in order to mitigate the problem of automatically responding intrusion detection systems. Persistent engagement with a cyber defence stakeholder will ensure that the prototype system is useful in cyber defence applications.

Our approach to this is to perform a deep interdisciplinary study of the translation of detection to response within the human immune system by modelling immune responses. A mechanism in immunology termed the 'immunological synapse' will be studied form the basis of a model used to create a novel blueprint for the responsive artificial immune system. This will occur through constructing agent-based models of the natural system from which these necessary properties can be abstracted by looking at how two cell types, Dendritic Cells and T-helper cells interact to produce immune responses to pathogens. We will model this interaction using knowledge already amassed by the host group, and aim to extend the research through performing further experiments to refine these models. The discipline hop is to be hosted within an immunology lab, whose research aims to understand immune mechanisms of response in order to create immunotherapies for treating cancers, by turning the immune system against detected tumour cells. Understanding of natural immune responses is key for both the future developments of artificial immune systems and also in how to use the immune system therapeutically in the fight against cancer.

The direct impact of this research has two distinct areas: in the cyber security domain and in the clinical immunology domain. Cyber attacks on UK businesses and homes are caused by imperfections in software and infrastructures, which are exploited by a mixture of those involved in organised criminal activity and less so by curious individuals causing attacks for the prestige of exploiting vulnerabilities. Either way, this is a very costly business, impacting severely on the UK economy. Any tool or technique which can potentially prevent the exploitation of computer systems will be useful in mitigating such attacks. Current countermeasures of anti-virus software, network firewalls and intrusion detection systems are no longer adequate to protect against powerful attacks, not only on traditional but on emerging networks. Attacks to mobile 'smartphones' are becoming more prevalent, but security techniques have not adapted to cope with demand. Bring your own device networks are becoming increasingly common within the commercial sector, and traditional countermeasures cannot cope with the diversity of devices and services required by users. Similarly, military networks are also required to be connected to the internet in addition to managing highly sensitive data and services. This is difficult to achieve without compromising the required functionality. As we see the emergence of the Internet of Things, we may become extremely vulnerable to new types of attack which will impact upon us in a very private and personal setting. Again, traditional countermeasures are not directly applicable in this scenario. The onus is on the user to monitor the Internet of Things domestic network and to manually respond to a given threat. This is unrealistic to expect domestic users to become system administrators, and thus the development of an intrusion detection system which can automatically respond to threats would be ideal. This grant aims to make a significant impact in the way in which we develop and deploy such systems for this new and emerging technology.

The secondary impact is through the development of novel models of immune responses. The way in which the immune system responds to threats is a vital piece in the puzzle for understanding how to fight of infectious diseases, this being particularly pertinent given the current problems with diseases such as Ebola. Learning how the responses work and more importantly how to modulate these responses is key in providing future immunotherapies. Additionally, the immune system is integral in the human body's response to cancer. By understanding how to manipulate immune responses, it is possible to to derive therapies which can limit the effects of and destroy cancerous growths. This forms a main part of the research performed at the Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology, which is the partner institution for this proposal. The models generated as a result of this proposed research will assist in clarifying our understanding of how the immune system responds and thus how it may be manipulated for clinical purposes. This is particularly important bearing in mind the ageing population.

Impact will be achieved not only through traditional dissemination routes of publication of academic papers and conference demonstrations, but through using the extensive outreach network already in place within Julie's current role as Outreach Officer for the School of Computer Science. The work will be presented at workshops for children, on university open days, public lectures and in particular at Women In Technology events within the UK. In addition, additional outreach is performed in conjunction with a popular YouTube channel termed computerphile, which aims to educate the general public. Julie has already provided material for three videos on artificial immune systems, and the intention is to work with the makers of computerphile in order to gain recognition of the research presented in this proposal