Robustness Analysis of Multilayer Infrastructure Networks Based on Incomplete Information Stackelberg Game:...

Area of Science:

• Network Science
• Game Theory
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Critical infrastructure systems (CIS) face significant threats from deliberate attacks.
• Existing models often use single-layer networks, which are insufficient for complex CIS.
• Multilayer network game research is limited, especially regarding incomplete information and cascading failures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel multilayer network Stackelberg game model with incomplete information considering cascading failures (MSGM-IICF).
• To analyze the robustness of critical infrastructure systems (CIS) under adversarial conditions.
• To provide a framework for designing resilient CIS.

Main Methods:

• Developed a multilayer network model incorporating node-weighted degree.
• Introduced link hiding rules and a cascading failure model.
• Constructed the MSGM-IICF with payoff functions for attackers and defenders.

Main Results:

• Link hiding enhances robustness in models without cascading failures.
• Cascading failures are the primary determinant of CIS robustness.
• Dynamic capacity allocation improves robustness, while dynamic costs decrease it.

Conclusions:

• The MSGM-IICF offers a new approach to analyzing CIS robustness.
• Cascading failures must be integrated into robustness assessments.
• The findings support the design of more resilient critical infrastructure systems.