Building a Calibrated Microsimulation Platform for Modeling System-wide Cyberattack Consequence

In today’s increasingly interconnected transportation landscape, cyberattacks pose substantial risks to individual vehicles and broader traffic systems. This project introduces a comprehensive framework that models vehicle-human complex behaviors under cyberattacks by incorporating perception-reaction time (PRT), situationally dependent braking intensity, and adaptive velocity adjustments influenced by intersection geometry and signal phases. Central to the framework is a trajectory reconstruction model (CTRM) that merges vehicle kinematics, driver Perception-Identification-Emotion-Volition (PIEV) processes, and cyber-psychological perspectives into a unified system. Validation was conducted using data from the miniSim driving simulator under designed spoofed Red-Light Countdown (RLCD) conditions, allowing comparison with the physics-based Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) and the machine learning-based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) techniques. Results show that CTRM more accurately replicates real-world vehicle trajectories under both normal and cyberattack scenarios, demonstrating superior explainability and fidelity. Factors such as driver age, experience, and trust in connected vehicle technology influence responses to cyber intrusion events. By embedding our model in SUMO, the simulation results indicate that well-coordinated signal timing can significantly mitigate cyber-induced disruptions.

• Record URL:
  • https://uh.edu/cybercare/research/projects/c23c18/
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation, OST-R, University Transportation Center Program, the USDOT Tier 1 UTC Transportation Cybersecurity Center for Advanced Research and Education (CYBER-CARE).

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $75,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348332

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Transportation Cybersecurity Center for Advanced Research and Education (CYBER-CARE)

  University of Houston
  Houston, TX  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Zhang, Yunpeng

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Cincinatti

  Cincinatti, OH  United States  45221
• Principal Investigators:

  Li, Zhixia

• Start Date: 20230701
• Expected Completion Date: 20260630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calibration; Computer security; Connected vehicles; Drivers; Driving simulators; Machine learning; Microsimulation; Reaction time; Signalized intersections; Vehicle to infrastructure communications
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01953958
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Cybersecurity Center for Advanced Research and Education (CYBER-CARE)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348332
• Files: UTC, RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 2025 4:09PM