Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems

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

doi:10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

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Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems

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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. In this work 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.

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES complex adaptive systems cybersecurity defense immune systems immunology natural defenses

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Schrom, Edward, Kinzig, Ann, Forrest, Stephanie, Graham, Andrea L., Levin, Simon A., Bergstrom, Carl T., Castillo-Chavez, Carlos, Collins, James P., de Boer, Rob J., Doupé, Adam, Ensafi, Roya, Feldman, Stuart, Grenfell, Bryan T., Halderman, J. Alex, Huijben, Silvie, Maley, Carlo, Moses, Melanie, Perelson, Alan S., Perrings, Charles, Plotkin, Joshua, Rexford, Jennifer, Tiwari, Mohit. 2023-06-02. Challenges in cybersecurity: Lessons from biological defense systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mbs.2023.109024

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