Improving architectures for automating network security using specification-based protocols

The proliferation of the Internet of Things continues to be a critical issue today. The current landscape provides security with minimal oversight and is furthermore inadequate due to unaccounted human behavior in the design flow and management of personal networks. As a result, these inherently insecure devices exponentially increase the attack surface of our critical infrastructure. This research leverages a specification-based protocol called Manufacturer Usage Description or MUD that is designed to automate access control at the "edge" of the network where IoT devices reside. This research approaches improved network security by underlining inherent weaknesses and key research areas to create a resilient architecture that is both sustainable and scalable.