Date of Award

6-13-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Gary B. Lamont, PhD.

Abstract

Cyber operations are the most important aspect of military conflicts in the 21st century, but unfortunately they are also among the least understood. The continual battle for network dominance between attackers and defenders is considered to be a complex game. Hypergame theory is an extension of game theory that addresses the kind of games where misperception exists, as is often the case in military engagements. Hypergame theory, like game theory, uses a game model to determine strategy selection, but goes beyond game theory by examining subgames that exist within the full game. The inclusion of misperception and misinformation in the hypergame model shows the usefulness of the theory because it provides strategy selection techniques that help mitigate risks. This goal of this research is to provide a foundation for the use of hypergame theory for adaptable cyber defense systems able to adjust to the existence of misperceptions and misinformation. The results discovered in this research report are an indication that there is utility in applying hypergame theory to the study of network defense techniques. This innovative research indicates that the application of hypergame theory is able to achieve the adaptive nature required for today's cyber defense needs.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENG-13-J-02

DTIC Accession Number

ada580070

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