Progress on the MARVEL Cybersecurity by Design Model-Based Systems Engineering Project

Formal model-based systems engineering (MBSE) combines a model, systems thinking, and systems
engineering to visually depict the boundaries, context, and behavior of interconnected systems, facilitating
effective design, development, and utilization of engineered systems throughout the systems engineering
lifecycle. Although nuclear reactor vendors employ these tools to integrate functionality, performance, and
safety, they are not yet addressing digital risk concerns introduced by use of operational technology, such
as digital instrumentation and control systems. To accomplish this objective, the Microreactor Applications
Research Validation and EvaLuation (MARVEL) microreactor was used as an MBSE case study. This realworld application provides a first-of-a-kind opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of integrating digital
risk and cybersecurity into the MBSE design process of a nuclear reactor. This paper provides an update of
the ongoing MARVEL Cyber MBSE project as it specifically relates to the integration of digital risk
management and cybersecurity by design.