PNNL

Abstract

Collaboration and Negotiation is a critical high-level function of an Autonomous Intelligent Cyber-Defense Agent (AICA) that enables communication among agents, central cyber C2, and human operators. Maintaining the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triad while achieving mission goals requires stealthy AICA agents to exercise: 1) minimal communication as needed for avoiding detection, 2) verification of information received with possibly limited resources, and 3) active learning during operations to address dynamic conditions. Moreover, negotiations to jointly identify and execute a Course of Action (COA) solution will require building consensus under distributed and/or decentralized multiagent settings with information uncertainties. This chapter presents algorithmic approaches for enabling the collaboration and negotiation function. Strengths and limitations of potential techniques are identified, and a representative example is illustrated. Recommendations for future development are also discussed.