Virtual network representations of information warfare battlespace

Virtual network methodologies are applied to information warfare (IW) simulation in which objects and agents behave with special relationships. Decision makers operate in a virtual battlespace, which is in essence an information cyberspace in which IW attacks damage assessments, countermeasure efforts, and repairs are interrelated through virtual networks. The virtual network representation is used to model not only communications networks but also socio-technical networks with dynamic hyperactive characteristics. Different virtual network representations are realized to characterize various behaviors and to help generate associated performance measures. Communications network attacks will constitute a major source of IW activities that will be analyzed. Virtual networks are used to represent object behaviors with appropriate levels of abstraction depending on IW scenarios and problem domains