SOPHIE

The resilience of ICT infrastructures is fundamental to the functioning of supply chains. The more reliable these infrastructures are, the easier it is to plan production and supply chains, and consequently for customers and consumers. Protecting such systems against threats from cyberspace is central to the functioning of a “smart economy” that is based on the “just-in-time” principle and must optimize transport routes with as little intermediate storage as possible. In the event of a cyberattack, it is essential to be able to rely on proven structures and processes, sufficient early detection, and appropriate decision-making models in order to avoid or reduce disruptions to ICT systems as much as possible.
The SOPHIE project therefore aims to raise awareness of cyber security issues in the supply chain and incident response, particularly for technical and non-technical key personnel in the supply chain, as well as to support and improve relevant processes through appropriate tools and reference processes in terms of resilience. 

The project has three main objectives:
(1) to better understand the impact of cyber attacks,
(2) to reduce the number and criticality of successful cyber attacks, and
(3) to increase the detection rate of cyber attacks and significantly increase the effort required to carry out attacks as a preventive measure.
 

SOPHIE aims to achieve these objectives through corresponding measures, in particular:
(1) analyzing processes, cascade effects, and suitable procedures to create models for exercises and simulations of cyber incidents, (2) responding quickly and effectively to IT security incidents in the context of exercises and simulations, ultimately
(3) minimizing the impact of security incidents, eliminating vulnerabilities, and increasing the robustness and resilience of systems.
To this end, SOPHIE will use the processes for analysis, modeling, and simulation in training programs and cyber security exercises to raise awareness. This should help to reflect on user behavior in an emergency, analyze operational and decision-making processes, define and validate appropriate crisis management measures, and coordinate between actors and their responsibilities. In addition, the simulation models also serve to identify critical processes and detect any resource and capacity bottlenecks, from which relevant opportunities for tactical optimization of processes can be derived. This should contribute to a proactive and reactive approach to cyber attacks by companies along a supply chain.