Digital twin application in lifecycle security of critical infrastructures: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Critical infrastructures are essential for the functioning of society. However, their increasing connectivity makes them vulnerable to growing cybersecurity threats. Traditional testing methods, such as testbeds, often struggle to accurately replicate real-world complexities and can be expensive to maintain. Although digital twins are gaining attention as a potential solution, providing high-fidelity virtual replicas with simulation, prediction, and control capabilities, their specific role in enhancing cybersecurity for critical infrastructures throughout their lifecycles has not been thoroughly explored. To address this gap, our study conducts a systematic literature review of 43 peer-reviewed papers published between 2013 and 2024 to investigate how digital twins can tackle cybersecurity challenges throughout critical infrastructures’ lifecycles. Our analysis offers a detailed classification of cybersecurity use cases enabled by digital twins, maps these use cases to the lifecycle phases of critical infrastructures, and evaluates the feasibility and justifications of both proposed and implemented solutions as long-term cybersecurity enhancers. Our findings underscore the potential of digital twins to foster a sustainable, long-term partnership with critical infrastructures, leading to improved cybersecurity. Additionally, we propose four future research directions to guide the development of robust digital twin solutions supporting the evolution of these vital systems, their operating contexts, and threat landscapes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating digital twins’ role as a lifelong cybersecurity enhancer for critical infrastructures.