Method and system for calculating multi-dimensional metrics through a system of dependencies

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
• determining a feature with one of an on value and an off value;
• determining, in a graph which represents a system of components:
• vulnerability nodes which represent known vulnerabilities to the system, wherein the feature enables one or more vulnerability nodes based on a respective probability that a respective vulnerability will be exploited;
• and
• dependency nodes which represent the components of the system, wherein a respective vulnerability degrades a utility of one or more components based on an exposure factor, and wherein a respective component depends on zero or more other components based on a weight;
• calculating, for a path in the graph to a first component, a loss of utility of a given dimension of multiple dimensions based on:
• a combiner operator which takes a first set of inputs which represent a weighted probability that the given dimension is degraded;
• and
• a logic operator which defines the first set of inputs based on at least a respective probability and a respective exposure factor;
• aggregating calculated losses of utility for the components of the system for each combination of possible on/off values for one or more features, wherein a respective calculated loss of utility corresponds to a respective dimension of the multiple dimensions;
• and
• selecting a first combination of the possible on/off values for the one or more features which results in a lowest loss of utility for the components.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• determining a feature with one of an on value and an off value;
• determining, in a graph which represents a system of components:
• vulnerability nodes which represent known vulnerabilities to the system, wherein the feature enables one or more vulnerability nodes based on a respective probability that a respective vulnerability will be exploited;
• and
• dependency nodes which represent the components of the system, wherein a respective vulnerability degrades a utility of one or more components based on an exposure factor, and wherein a respective component depends on zero or more other components based on a weight;
• calculating, for a path in the graph to a first component, a loss of utility of a given dimension of multiple dimensions based on:
• a combiner operator which takes a first set of inputs which represent a weighted probability that the given dimension is degraded;
• and
• a logic operator which defines the first set of inputs based on at least a respective probability and a respective exposure factor;
• aggregating calculated losses of utility for the components of the system for each combination of possible on/off values for one or more features, wherein a respective calculated loss of utility corresponds to a respective dimension of the multiple dimensions;
• and
• selecting a first combination of the possible on/off values for the one or more features which results in a lowest loss of utility for the components.