Simulation in Cybersecurity: Understanding Techniques, Applications, and Goals

2025-08-08

AI Summary

Cybersecurity modeling and simulation research lacks a systematic methodological foundation due to the diversity of application domains, threat scenarios, and objectives. To address this gap, this paper proposes the first four-dimensional analytical framework—comprising application domain, threat type, simulation methodology, and simulation objective—and conducts a systematic literature review and comparative classification of existing works. Through multi-dimensional abstraction and cross-paradigm evaluation, we establish, for the first time, the alignment relationships between specific cyber threats (e.g., APTs, IoT attacks) and modeling/simulation paradigms, identify high-fidelity simulation candidates, and rigorously characterize the applicability boundaries and limitations of prevailing approaches. The study bridges a critical gap in cross-domain integrative analysis, providing both theoretical grounding and practical guidance for simulation framework selection and future methodology development.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human Behavior
• Application Domains: Internet of Things, Sensor Networks & Smart Cities
• Search and Optimization: Sampling/Simulation-based Search

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data generation and simulation
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health

Abstract

Modeling and simulation are widely used in cybersecurity research to assess cyber threats, evaluate defense mechanisms, and analyze vulnerabilities. However, the diversity of application areas, the variety of cyberattacks scenarios, and the differing objectives of these simulations makes it difficult to identify methodological trends. Existing reviews often focus on specific modeling techniques or application domains, making it challenging to analyze the field as a whole. To address these limitations, we present a comprehensive review of the current state of the art, classifying the selected papers based on four dimensions: the application domain, the types of cyber threats represented, the simulation techniques employed, and the primary goals of the simulation. The review discusses the strengths and limitations of different approaches, identifies which cyber threats are the most suited for simulation-based investigations, and analyzes which modeling paradigms are most appropriate for specific cybersecurity challenges.

Problem

• Assessing cyber threats and defense mechanisms via simulation
• Classifying cybersecurity simulations by domain, threats, techniques, and goals
• Identifying suitable modeling paradigms for specific cybersecurity challenges

Innovation

• Comprehensive review of cybersecurity simulation techniques
• Classification based on four key dimensions
• Analysis of modeling paradigms for cybersecurity challenges