Degree Based Attacks and Defense Strategies in Complex Networks

We study the stability of random scale-free networks to degree dependent attacks. We present analytical and numerical results to compute the critical fraction of nodes that need to be removed for destroying the network under this attack for different attack parameters.  We study the effect of different defense strategies, based on the addition of a constant number of links on network robustness. We test defense strategies based on adding links to either low degree, mid degree or high degree nodes. We find using analytical results and simulations that the mid degree nodes defense strategy leads to the largest improvement to the network robustness against degree based attacks. We also test these defense strategies on an Internet AS map and obtain similar results.

This is a joint work with Reuven Cohen.