Privacy and security of cyberphysical systems

Due to advances in computing and communication technologies, there has been a growing interest in cyberphysical systems (CPS). These are systems where physical devices are monitored/controlled via embedded computers and networks. By exploiting sensing, computation, and networking capabilities, CPS are paving the way for a new generation of engineering systems, which enable automatic decision‐making processes in fields ranging from customized manufacturing and transportation to health care and energy. Integration of information technology methods with a physical system such as a power grid, transportation system, and supply chain to form a “smart” infrastructure holds the promise of greater efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. However, any such coupling introduces privacy and security issues. The “systems and control” community has contributed to the CPS agenda, addressing issues like estimation, control, and coordination under information constraints. However, a deep understanding of the privacy and security requirements in CPS and their influence on classical control‐theoretic paradigms is still missing. This special issue describes the current state‐of‐the‐art in privacy and security mechanisms for CPS, linking systems, and control theoretic advances with practical and technological requirements. We hope that this will be a catalyst, which will lead to a clearer understanding of privacy‐aware and secure CPS.