A graph-theoretical model of computer security: From file sharing to social engineering

Authors:
Mark Burgess;Geoffrey Canright;Kenth Engø-Monsen
Affiliations:
Oslo University College, Faculty of Engineering, Norway;Telenor Research, Faculty of Engineering, Fornebu, Oslo, Norway;Telenor Research, Faculty of Engineering, Fornebu, Oslo, Norway
Venue:
International Journal of Information Security
Year:
2004

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International Journal of Information and Computer Security

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Abstract

We describe a model of computer security that applies results from the statistical properties of graphs to human-computer systems. The model attempts to determine a safe threshold of interconnectivity in a human-computer system by ad hoc network analyses. The results can be applied to physical networks, social networks and networks of clues in a forensic analysis. Access control, intrusions and social engineering can also be discussed as graph- and information-theoretical relationships. Groups of users and shared objects, such as files or conversations, provide communication channels for the spread of both authorized and unauthorized information. We present numerical criteria for measuring the security of such systems and algorithms for finding the vulnerable points.