Cyber–Physical Attacks and Their Impacts on the Safety of Industrial Control Systems
A special issue of Safety (ISSN 2313-576X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 48
Special Issue Editors
Interests: process safety; safety and security integration; cyber-physical systems; risk as-sessment; risk management; fault diagnosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: physical security; cybersecurity; safety and security risk identification; quantita-tive safety and security risk analysis
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
With the growing integration of cyber–physical systems (CPS) into industrial control systems (ICS)—for instance, in sectors such as chemical process industries, oil and gas, wind energy, and nuclear power—the convergence of safety and security has become an urgent concern. Cyber–physical threats pose significant risks, as they can trigger hazardous events comparable to those caused by critical failures in conventional systems. The interactions between cyber threats and hazards of conventional physical systems not only amplifies the vulnerabilities of systems, but also complicates the protection of assets and critical infrastructures, demanding highly innovative solutions and novel approaches. This Special Issue seeks to explore the profound impacts of cyberattacks on the safety and security of ICS. We seek to collect high-quality studies that shed light on ICS’ vulnerabilities to cyber–physical attacks, or that examine the effects of these attacks on ICS safety, and which propose strategies, including validated methodologies, practical tools, or case studies, to enhance their safety, security, and resilience. Submissions may include both original research papers and comprehensive literature reviews addressing various facets of this domain.
Dr. Shuaiqi Yuan
Dr. Matteo Iaiani
Dr. Rioshar Yarveisy
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- cyber–physical attacks
- industrial control systems
- industrial safety
- cybersecurity
- cyber resilience
- vulnerability assessment
- risk assessment
- risk management
- safety and security
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