A Systematic Process-Model-based Approach for Synthesizing Attacks and Evaluating Them

This paper describes a systematic approach for incrementally improving the security of election processes by using a model of the process to develop attack plans and then incorporating each plan into the process model to determine if it can complete successfully. More specifically, our approach first applies fault tree analysis to a detailed election process model to find process vulnerabilities that an adversary might be able to exploit, thus identifying potential attacks. Based on such a vulnerability, we then model an attack plan and formally evaluate the process’s robustness against such a plan. If appropriate, we also propose modifications to the process and then reapply the approach to ensure that the attack will not succeed. Although the approach is described in the context of the election domain, it would also seem to be effective in analyzing process vulnerability in other domains.