Mode Switching from a Security Perspective: First Findings of a Systematic Literature Review

With increased interoperability of cyber-physical systems (CPSs), security becomes increasingly critical for many of these systems. We know mode switching from domains like aviation and automotive, and we imagine to use this mechanism for the development of resilient systems that continue to function correctly even if under malicious attack. If vulnerabilities are detected or even known, modes can be switched to reduce the attack surface and to minimize attackers' range of activity. We propose to engineer CPSs with multi-modal software architectures to overcome the interval between the time when zero-day vulnerabilities become known and the time when corresponding updates become available. Thus, affected companies, operators and people will be able to protect themselves and their customers without having to wait for security updates. This paper presents first findings of a systematic literature review (SLR) on mode switching from a security perspective.