Simulating Industrial Control Systems Using Node-RED and Unreal Engine 4

Abstract

The cost of building industrial control systems for cyber security research is a barrier far too high for most research institutions let alone space and safety requirements, leading the field to search for cheaper alternative solutions which may not always provide the same benefits. Through real world use cases, Argonne National Laboratory staff and interns developed a novel method of simulating industrial control system’s environments using Node-RED, an open-sourced software, to handle programmable logic controllers’ tasks and update and host a Modbus TCP/IP server. Through the CyberForce Competition™, the team has tested the usability of this method and has created 3D reactive models and physical models that run based the systems simulated in Node-RED. This method of simulation allows for easily deployed industrial control systems for any researcher to use in simulating how it might respond to attack, allowing for low budget institutions to do cutting edge research in the field of industrial control system security.