Privacy-Preserving Techniques for Protecting Large-Scale Data of Cyber-Physical Systems

As Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs), such as power and gas networks, generate heterogeneous and large-scale data sources from devices and networks, they need efficient privacy-preserving techniques to protect data and systems from cyber attacks. To safeguard CPSs from potential cyber threats, it is vital to identify vulnerabilities of CPSs’ components to prevent Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and protect their generated data using privacy-preserving techniques. This paper aims to review the current state of privacy-preserving techniques for protecting CPSs and their networks against cyber attacks. Concepts of Privacy preservation and CPSs are discussed, illustrating CPSs’ components and how they could be hacked using cyber and physical hacking scenarios. Then, types of privacy preservation, including perturbation, authentication, machine learning (ML), cryptography and blockchain, are discussed to demonstrate how they would be applied to protect the original data in CPSs and their networks. Finally, we explain existing challenges, solutions and future research directions of privacy preservation in CPSs.