Citation

Zio E, Rocco S. CM. Int. J. Crit. Infrastruct. 2008; 4(1/2): 80.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Inderscience Publishers)

DOI

10.1504/IJCIS.2008.016093

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper presents a methodological approach combining Cellular Automata (CA) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for computing the security characteristics of a system exposed to terrorist attacks, such as the injection of poison in the water distribution system of a populated area. The physical system can be modelled as a network (graph) of nodes interconnected by links. CA are employed to describe the dynamics of spread of the hazard through the network, considering a simple continuity framework. The MC method allows simulating the stochastics of the hazard propagation between the nodes of the network and its effect.

KEYWORDS: cellular automata; CA; Monte Carlo simulation; security assessment; complex networks; critical infrastructures; terrorist threat; terrorist attacks; poison; water distribution systems; hazard propagation.