Complex networks after centrality-based attacks and defense

Exploration in complex networks has surged. Centrality measures play a pivotal role in pinpointing essential components within these networks. Previous work focus on nodes with the highest Betweenness centrality through extensive simulations. This paper analyzes the attack and/or defense strategy using one more centrality metric, bridging centrality and Bridging-Betweenness Fusion Attack (combination of both betweenness and bridging centrality). Our two-fold contribution is (1) Using high centrality removal as an attacking strategy and inspired by the dynamic node removal process, recalculated node method after each node removal is proposed. (2) In our defense techniques, new nodes are added to existing lower centrality nodes. They are added after attacks to restore the graph’s connectivity according to proposed defense strategies. Note that some attacks and defense techniques were already introduced while others are presented first time, e.g., the combination of two centrality measures for attack and a bridging-based defense strategy. This innovative approach presents a promising advancement in enhancing the resilience and fortification of complex networks against potential attacks, signifying a notable advantage of this work.