Cyber-physical systems security: Limitations, issues and future trends

Typically, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) involve various interconnected systems, which can monitor and manipulate real objects and processes. They are closely related to Internet of Things (IoT) systems, except that CPS focuses on the interaction between physical, networking and computation processes. Their integration with IoT led to a new CPS aspect, the Internet of Cyber-Physical Things (IoCPT). The fast and significant evolution of CPS affects various aspects in people’s way of life and enables a wider range of services and applications including e-Health, smart homes, e-Commerce, etc. However, interconnecting the cyber and physical worlds gives rise to new dangerous security challenges. Consequently, CPS security has attracted the attention of both researchers and industries. This paper surveys the main aspects of CPS and the corresponding applications, technologies, and standards. Moreover, CPS security vulnerabilities, threats and attacks are reviewed, while the key issues and challenges are identified. Additionally, the existing security measures are presented and analyzed while identifying their main limitations. Finally, several suggestions and recommendations are proposed benefiting from the lessons learned throughout this comprehensive review.