Active vulnerability assessment of computer networks by simulation of complex remote attacks

The paper describes the formal approach and software tool "Attack Simulator" intended for active vulnerability assessment of computer network security policy at the stages of design and deployment of network security systems. The suggested approach is based on stochastic grammar-based models of attacks and is realized via automatic imitation of remote computer network attacks of different complexity. The paper characterizes the Attack Simulator architecture and the processes of generating malicious actions against computer network model and real-life computer networks. The results of experiments that demonstrate the Attack Simulator efficiency are described in detail.