Considerations on Cyber Situational Awareness – Theoretical Fundamentals and Implementation Models

Abstract Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA) represents a strategic pillar in the national cyber security strategies of many countries, being an essential capability for the security of a state or an organization. This paper will define Cyber Situational Awareness in its broadest sense and describe the reference models that underlie the formation of situational awareness in cyberspace. The stages of the process of obtaining CSA are presented, emphasizing the critical role that advanced technologies have in automatically collecting, analyzing and interpreting data from the cyber environment. The importance of the visualization component in the decision-making process assisted by CSA is highlighted, and some directions for future research are analyzed.