Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems

Edward Schrom; Ann Kinzig; Stephanie Forrest; Andrea L. Graham; Simon A. Levin; Carl T. Bergstrom; Carlos Castillo-Chavez; James P. Collins; Rob J. de Boer; Adam Doupé; Roya Ensafi; Stuart Feldman; Bryan T. Grenfell; J. Alex Halderman; Silvie Huijben; Carlo Maley; Melanie Moses; Alan S. Perelson; Charles Perrings; Joshua Plotkin; Jennifer Rexford; Mohit Tiwari

doi:10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems

Edward Schrom, Ann Kinzig, Stephanie Forrest, Andrea L. Graham, Simon A. Levin, Carl T. Bergstrom, Carlos Castillo-Chavez, James P. Collins, Rob J. de Boer, Adam Doupé, Roya Ensafi, Stuart Feldman, Bryan T. Grenfell, J. Alex Halderman, Silvie Huijben, Carlo Maley, Melanie Moses, Alan S. Perelson, Charles Perrings, Joshua PlotkinJennifer Rexford, Mohit Tiwari

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Defending against novel, repeated, or unpredictable attacks, while avoiding attacks on the ‘self’, are the central problems of both mammalian immune systems and computer systems. Both systems have been studied in great detail, but with little exchange of information across the different disciplines. Here, we present a conceptual framework for structured comparisons across the fields of biological immunity and cybersecurity, by framing the context of defense, considering different (combinations of) defensive strategies, and evaluating defensive performance. Throughout this paper, we pose open questions for further exploration. We hope to spark the interdisciplinary discovery of general principles of optimal defense, which can be understood and applied in biological immunity, cybersecurity, and other defensive realms.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	109024
Journal	Mathematical Biosciences
Volume	362
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024
State	Published - Aug 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Immunology and Microbiology
Applied Mathematics
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Statistics and Probability
Modeling and Simulation

Keywords

Complex systems
Cybersecurity
Defense
Immunology

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10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

Cite this

Schrom, E., Kinzig, A., Forrest, S., Graham, A. L., Levin, S. A., Bergstrom, C. T., Castillo-Chavez, C., Collins, J. P., de Boer, R. J., Doupé, A., Ensafi, R., Feldman, S., Grenfell, B. T., Halderman, J. A., Huijben, S., Maley, C., Moses, M., Perelson, A. S., Perrings, C., ... Tiwari, M. (2023). Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems. Mathematical Biosciences, 362, Article 109024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

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title = "Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems",

abstract = "Defending against novel, repeated, or unpredictable attacks, while avoiding attacks on the {\textquoteleft}self{\textquoteright}, are the central problems of both mammalian immune systems and computer systems. Both systems have been studied in great detail, but with little exchange of information across the different disciplines. Here, we present a conceptual framework for structured comparisons across the fields of biological immunity and cybersecurity, by framing the context of defense, considering different (combinations of) defensive strategies, and evaluating defensive performance. Throughout this paper, we pose open questions for further exploration. We hope to spark the interdisciplinary discovery of general principles of optimal defense, which can be understood and applied in biological immunity, cybersecurity, and other defensive realms.",

keywords = "Complex systems, Cybersecurity, Defense, Immunology",

author = "Edward Schrom and Ann Kinzig and Stephanie Forrest and Graham, {Andrea L.} and Levin, {Simon A.} and Bergstrom, {Carl T.} and Carlos Castillo-Chavez and Collins, {James P.} and {de Boer}, {Rob J.} and Adam Doup{\'e} and Roya Ensafi and Stuart Feldman and Grenfell, {Bryan T.} and Halderman, {J. Alex} and Silvie Huijben and Carlo Maley and Melanie Moses and Perelson, {Alan S.} and Charles Perrings and Joshua Plotkin and Jennifer Rexford and Mohit Tiwari",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Inc.",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "362",

journal = "Mathematical Biosciences",

issn = "0025-5564",

publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",

}

Schrom, E, Kinzig, A, Forrest, S, Graham, AL , Levin, SA, Bergstrom, CT, Castillo-Chavez, C, Collins, JP, de Boer, RJ, Doupé, A, Ensafi, R, Feldman, S, Grenfell, BT, Halderman, JA, Huijben, S, Maley, C, Moses, M, Perelson, AS, Perrings, C, Plotkin, J, Rexford, J & Tiwari, M 2023, 'Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems', Mathematical Biosciences, vol. 362, 109024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

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T2 - Lessons from biological defense systems

AU - Schrom, Edward

AU - Kinzig, Ann

AU - Forrest, Stephanie

AU - Graham, Andrea L.

AU - Levin, Simon A.

AU - Bergstrom, Carl T.

AU - Castillo-Chavez, Carlos

AU - Collins, James P.

AU - de Boer, Rob J.

AU - Doupé, Adam

AU - Ensafi, Roya

AU - Feldman, Stuart

AU - Grenfell, Bryan T.

AU - Halderman, J. Alex

AU - Huijben, Silvie

AU - Maley, Carlo

AU - Moses, Melanie

AU - Perelson, Alan S.

AU - Perrings, Charles

AU - Plotkin, Joshua

AU - Rexford, Jennifer

AU - Tiwari, Mohit

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

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AB - Defending against novel, repeated, or unpredictable attacks, while avoiding attacks on the ‘self’, are the central problems of both mammalian immune systems and computer systems. Both systems have been studied in great detail, but with little exchange of information across the different disciplines. Here, we present a conceptual framework for structured comparisons across the fields of biological immunity and cybersecurity, by framing the context of defense, considering different (combinations of) defensive strategies, and evaluating defensive performance. Throughout this paper, we pose open questions for further exploration. We hope to spark the interdisciplinary discovery of general principles of optimal defense, which can be understood and applied in biological immunity, cybersecurity, and other defensive realms.

KW - Complex systems

KW - Cybersecurity

KW - Defense

KW - Immunology

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VL - 362

JO - Mathematical Biosciences

JF - Mathematical Biosciences

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ER -

Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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