Patterns for the Design of Secure and Dependable Software Defined Networks.

Abstract

In an interconnected world, cyber and physical networks face a number of chal- lenges that need to be resolved. These challenges are mainly due to the nature and complexity of interconnected systems and networks and their ability to support hetero- geneous physical and cyber components simultaneously. The construction of complex networks preserving security and dependability (S&D) properties is necessary to avoid system vulnerabilities at design or runtime level. In particular, with the deployment of Software Defined Networks (SDN), S&D weaknesses may occur in all the different layers of SDN architectures. In order to design SDN network architectures with re- spect to S&D, a model-based approach such as design patterns can be used adequately. In this work, we define executional patterns for designing networks able to guarantee S&D properties in legacy and SDN networks. To evaluate our defined pattern ap- proach, we implement executable pattern instances, encoded in a rule-based reasoning system, able to design and verify wireless SDN networks with respect to availability and confidentiality. To complete this work, we propose and evaluate an implementa- tion framework in which S&D patterns can be applied for the design and verification of SDN networks.