Automatic generation of data-centric attack graphs

A computer system for generating an attack graph to protect sensitive data objects located on a network from attack, the computer system comprising:

• a bus system;
• a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device stores program instructions;
• and
• a processor connected to the bus system, wherein the processor executes the program instructions to:
• generate the attack graph that includes nodes representing components in a set of components of a regulated service and edges between nodes representing relationships between related components in the set of components based on vulnerability and risk metrics corresponding to each component in the set of components;
• calculate a risk score for each component represented by a node in the attack graph based on a sensitivity rank and a criticality rank corresponding to each respective component;
• aggregate risk scores for each component along each edge path connecting a node of a particular component to a node of a related component to form an aggregated risk score for each component;
• and
• perform an action to mitigate a risk to sensitive data corresponding to a component posed by an attack via the network in response to determining that the aggregated risk score of the component is greater than or equal to a risk threshold.

A computer program product for generating an attack graph to protect sensitive data objects located on a network from attack, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

• generating, by the computer, the attack graph that includes nodes representing components in a set of components of a regulated service and edges between nodes representing relationships between related components in the set of components based on vulnerability and risk metrics corresponding to each component in the set of components;
• calculating, by the computer, a risk score for each component represented by a node in the attack graph based on a sensitivity rank and a criticality rank corresponding to each respective component;
• aggregating, by the computer, risk scores for each component along each edge path connecting a node of a particular component to a node of a related component to form an aggregated risk score for each component;
• and
• responsive to the computer determining that the aggregated risk score of a component is greater than or equal to a risk threshold, performing, by the computer, an action to mitigate a risk to sensitive data corresponding to the component posed by an attack via the network.