'Attack graphs' predict computer security

PORTLAND, Ore. — "Attack graphs" help predict the risk that hackers can crack a computer system's security, plus identify its most vulnerable resources, according to the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST). By analyzing and assigning probabilities to every path a hacker could use to penetrate a computer system, NIST hopes attack graphs will help IT managers identify weak points that need to be patched to safeguard valuable data. Attack graphs, developed by NIST jointly with George Mason University, calculate the vulnerability of each path into a computer system using NIST's National Vulnerability Database (NVD). By assigning a probable risk to various computer network pathways, the researchers hope to secure computer systems from multistep attacks. Each step in an attack is graphed with an assigned... [read full story]