A quorum sensing pattern for multi-agent self-organizing security systems

Swarm concepts of various types borrowed from nature have been proposed for multi-agent security approaches. Distributed decision-making in multi-agent systems is of particular interest, and has good application in large networks with end-point agents looking for anomalies and potential threat indications, which in isolation may mean nothing. Quorum sensing (QS) in bacterial systems and Honeybee nest-site selection are two examples of distributed decision making in nature that show promise for reuse in reaching collective conclusions and triggering action in networked cyber systems. This paper examines these two cases of QS in nature and abstracts a generic pattern that qualifies for self-organizing security according to six SAREPH characteristics covered in prior work. The pattern form and qualifying characteristics from this prior work are briefly outlined, and QS in the two different natural systems is shown to reach a tipping point based on the density of independent agents with relevant similarities. The inter-agent signaling mechanisms are shown to be central to the process, and the abstracted core pattern is discussed with the conflicting forces that have to be resolved in any application of the pattern. Illustrative examples of both deployed and proposed security approaches are then shown employing this pattern, along with a pseudo-code model for an appropriate signaling mechanism inspired by a paper on social network quorum achievement.