Safeguarding Critical Infrastructures with Digital Twins and AI

Abstract

Critical infrastructures (CIs) are complex systems that are integral parts of our daily lives. We use them to access various services related to basic needs, to obtain water, energy and information, to move from one place to another, to work remotely, and so on. It is therefore essential, but challenging, to secure and protect them. On the other hand, digital twins (DTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) represent solid approaches that are well suited to modelling and analyzing complex systems, respectively. In this context, this work can be seen as a white paper that aims first to explore the main characteristics and limitations of DTs and AI when considered in isolation, and then to discuss how their combination as an intelligent entity - which represents a paradigm shift in the protection and resilience of CIs - might be beneficial to overcome such challenges and thus be useful to enhance their protection.