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Supporting the Security Modelling in Operational Technology by identifying capacities of Hidden Channels in ICS protocols

Authors:
Robert Altschaffel
Sönke Otten
Stefan Kiltz
Jana Dittmann

Keywords: security modeling; iot; hidden channels.

Abstract:
A domain affected by a rising threat landscape is Operational Technology (OT) and adjacent cyber-physical domains like Internet of Things (IoT). With the increased threat to OT, the need for security modelling in this domain grows. Security modelling requires reliable data about attack vectors and threats for optimal results. In this paper, we want to contribute to this data by presenting our approach to model the capacity of hidden channels in the OT-domain. This modelling is based on the systematic exploration of hidden channels in the MQTT network protocol, the creation of dedicated tools and the resulting data sets in order to investigate the capacity of these hidden channels within a control network. The approach is used to identify the capacity for 5 hidden channels usable in the MQTT protocol.

Pages: 83 to 88

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2025

Publication date: October 26, 2025

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2162-2116

ISBN: 978-1-68558-306-4

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from October 26, 2025 to October 30, 2025