Overview on attack graph generation and visualization technology

Network vulnerability can be analyzed automatically by attack graph. Attack graph tools can generate attack paths in network and show users the network vulnerabilities analyzing process for network security risk analysis. There are some problems such as state space explosion, the high complexity of algorithms, being difficult to demonstrate graphically, and so on, for attack graph generation and visualization techniques. Therefore, we surveyed and analyzed the attack graph generation and visualization technology. We summarized the open source tools like MulVAL, TVA. Attack Graph Toolkit, NetSPA and so on, and the commercial tools, for example, Cauldron, FireMon, Skybox View. We compared and analyzed these tools from the aspects of the attack graph types, scalability, or complexity of attack graph generation algorithm, the degree of attack graph visualization. Their common denominator was summarized, and their different points were analyzed. The future and applications for attack graph were forecasted, for example its applications in industrial control systems, and in the network security defense and risk assessment.