MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2017



Game on security technologies for the critical infrastructure (with Kaspersky)

Allen Moulton, Research Scientist

Jan/30 Mon 08:30AM-04:00PM E51-145
Jan/31 Tue 08:30AM-04:00PM E51-145
Feb/01 Wed 08:30AM-04:00PM E51-145
Feb/02 Thu 08:30AM-04:00PM E51-145
Feb/03 Fri 08:30AM-11:00AM E51-145

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: Being an undergrad junior/senior or grad student

The modern critical infrastructure has been built during the last 20-25 years, but one may still see Windows 3.1 or NT operating on power plants that supply energy for world’s largest cities. However, hackers and malware writers do not wait—they are constantly improving their skills and toolset often at a faster pace.

Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) attack various organizations, banks, and industries for stealing trade secrets, causing damages, and interrupting the process flows. Most APTs are often discovered 4-6 years after being deployed. Yes, for 4-6 years, many power plants did not know that their systems were infected. On the other hand, antivirus technologies were not put into the Critical Infrastructure for a long time. Even today, most of the facilities rely on their luck and good karma.

During this activity, we will dive deep into security technologies such as malware detection and mitigation and a variety of penetration tests. We will also discuss interesting cases from our own experience. You will play Capture The Flag (CTF) competition game that requires out-of-box creative thinking—which helps you be ahead of your partners and competitors. The next interactive activity is the KIPS game that is a simulation of a real industrial power plant, providing a series of hands-on challenges of the modern ICS system insecurity. 

More information: https://goo.gl/2LDilf

Sponsored by MIT-(IC)3: Interdisciplinary Consortium for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

Sponsor(s): Sloan School of Management
Contact: Allen Moulton, E94-1580, (617) 253-3471, amoulton@MIT.EDU