# Time Constant: Actuator Fingerprinting using Transient Response of Device and Process in ICS

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.16536 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.16536/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 25 Sep 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [WaveVerif: Acoustic Side-Channel based Verification of Robotic Workflows](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.25960/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Command injection and replay attacks are key threats in Cyber Physical Systems (CPS). We develop a novel actuator fingerprinting technique named Time Constant. Time Constant captures the transient dynamics of an actuator and physical process. The transient behavior is device-specific. We combine process and device transient characteristics to develop a copy-resistant actuator fingerprint that resists command injection and replay attacks in the face of insider adversaries. We validated the proposed scheme on data from a real water treatment testbed, as well as through real-time attack detection in the live plant. Our results show that we can uniquely distinguish between process states and actuators based on their Time Constant.