Methodologies Based on Hardware Performance Counters for Supporting Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a critical area of information technology, where prevention, detection, and mitigation of cyberattacks are crucial to ensure system and data integrity. This chapter presents several methods and strategies that adopt hardware performance counters (HPCs) as the paramount protection utility, with the aid of analysis and advanced techniques from several areas of statistics and computing, to support cybersecurity. Furthermore, the chapter discusses the need for broader approaches, including preventive and protective measures, regular penetration testing, user awareness, implementation of robust security policies, and advanced threat detection techniques. While traditional security tools such as implementing IDSs, IPSs, firewalls, antivirus, and other solutions are critical, they must be complemented with more comprehensive approaches to deal with the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, and HPCs provide this support with efficiency.