Unifying and Securing Naval SCADA Networks through Scalable SDN

This project aims at designing and utilizing novel, open, and scalable software-defined networking (SDN) techniques to enhance the resiliency/survivability, scalability/compatibility, and security of naval Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks. The proposed SDN architecture for naval SCADA networks consists of three parallel planes: data, control, and application, which are designed separately but collectively work together. SDN controllers communicate with the application plane through northbound Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), receive instructions from the application plane, and relay them to corresponding network components. Open-source protocols (e.g., OpenFlow), network emulator (e.g., MiniNet and MaxiNet), SDN framework (e.g., Ryu), and packet analyzer (e.g., Wireshark) will be utilized by mentored students to implement flexible simulation environments and carry out quantitative performance analysis. On the education side, the project aims at engaging, mentoring, and training eligible domestic students from diverse backgrounds at both Temple and Penn State. They will be prepared with hands-on knowledge and programming skills to implement and demonstrate the proposed SDN architecture on simulated shipboard SCADA networks. Trained students will be equipped with sufficient background and experience to pursue careers in naval engineering as potential Navy workforce in future. The direct impact of this project will be the development of novel, open, and flexible SDN architectures for naval SCADA networks to enhance network performance and control systems on naval vessels. This project also aligns with DoD's Navy Civilian Workforce Framework by strong student participation. This project abstract is publically releasable