Crisitna Alcaraz

Prof. Crisitna Alcaraz

Computer Science Department, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

21Years (2006-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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12 July 2018 in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
ISIoannis Stellios
Ioannis Stellios
Panayiotis KotzanikolaouPanayiotis Kotzanikolaou
Panayiotis Kotzanikolaou
MPMihalis Psarakis
Mihalis Psarakis
Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
As the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) is experiencing an exponential growth, it is no surprise that many recent cyber attacks are IoT-enabled: The attacker initially exploits some vulnerable IoT technology as a first step towards compromising a critical system that is connected, in some way, with the IoT. For some sectors, like industry, smart grids, transportation and medical services, the significance of such attacks is obvious, since IoT technologies are part of critical back-end systems. However, in sectors where IoT is usually at the end-user side, like smart homes, such attacks can be underestimated, since not all possible attack paths are examined. In this paper we survey IoT-enabled cyber attacks, found in all application domains since 2010. For each sector, we emphasize on the latest, verified IoT-enabled attacks, based on known real-world incidents and published proof-of-concept attacks. We methodologically analyze representative attacks that demonstrate direct, indirect and subliminal attack paths against critical targets. Our goal is threefold: (i) To assess IoT-enabled cyber attacks in a risk-like approach, in order to demonstrate their current threat landscape; (ii) To identify hidden and subliminal IoT-enabled attack paths against critical infrastructures and services, and (iii) To examine mitigation strategies for all application domains.

29 April 2022 in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials
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Journal Article
Closed access
Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Industry 4.0 is having an increasingly positive impact on the value chain by modernizing and optimizing the production and distribution processes. In this streamline, the digital twin (DT) is one of the most cutting-edge technologies of Industry 4.0, providing simulation capabilities to forecast, optimize and estimate states and configurations. In turn, these technological capabilities are encouraging industrial stakeholders to invest in the new paradigm, though an increased focus on the risks involved is really needed. More precisely, the deployment of a DT is based on the composition of technologies such as cyber-physical systems, the Industrial Internet of Things, edge computing, virtualization infrastructures, artificial intelligence and big data. However, the confluence of all these technologies and the implicit interaction with the physical counterpart of the DT in the real world generate multiple security threats that have not yet been sufficiently studied. In that context, this paper analyzes the current state of the DT paradigm and classifies the potential threats associated with it, taking into consideration its functionality layers and the operational requirements in order to achieve a more complete and useful classification. We also provide a preliminary set of security recommendations and approaches that can help to ensure the appropriate and trustworthy use of a DT.

1 January 2015 in International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection
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Journal Article
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Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
SZSherali Zeadally
Sherali Zeadally

1 March 2011 in Computers and Electrical Engineering
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Journal Article
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Rodrigo Román-CastroRodrigo Román-Castro
Rodrigo Román-Castro
Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Nicolas SklavosNicolas Sklavos
Nicolas Sklavos

15 February 2017 in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid
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Journal Article
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Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
JLJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
SWStephen Wolthusen
Stephen Wolthusen
One benefit postulated for the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is their ability to act as stabilizing entities in smart grids through bidirectional charging, allowing local or global smoothing of peaks and imbalances. This benefit, however, hinges indirectly on the reliability and security of the power flows thus achieved. Therefore, this paper studies key security properties of the already-deployed Open Charge Point Protocol specifying communication between charging points and energy management systems. It is argued that possible subversion or malicious endpoints in the protocol can also lead to destabilization of power networks. While reviewing these aspects, we focus, from a theoretical and practical standpoint, on attacks that interfere with resource reservation originating with the EV, which may also be initiated by a man in the middle, energy theft, or fraud. Such attacks may even be replicated widely, resulting in over- or under-shooting of power network provisioning, or the (total/partial) disintegration of the integrity and stability of power networks.

5 April 2010 in IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part C (Applications and Reviews)
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Journal Article
Closed access
Crisitna AlcarazCrisitna Alcaraz
Crisitna Alcaraz
Javier LopezJavier Lopez
Javier Lopez
Nowadays, critical control systems are a fundamental component contributing to the overall performance of critical infrastructures in our society, most of which belong to the industrial sector. These complex systems include in their design different types of information and communication technology systems, such as wireless (mesh) sensor networks, to carry out control processes in real time. This fact has meant that several communication standards, such as Zigbee PRO, WirelessHART, and ISA100.11a, have been specified to ensure coexistence, reliability, and security in their communications. The main purpose of this paper has been to review these three standards and analyze their security. We have identified a set of threats and potential attacks in their routing protocols, and we consequently provide recommendations and countermeasures to help Industry protect its infrastructures.