A computer-implemented method for adjusting a cyber-physical system having a plurality of components with at least one of said components being a cyber component and at least one of said components being a physical component, said method comprising: (a) receiving a description of each of said plurality of components and a definition of at least one penalty as a quality associated with at least one component of said plurality of components; (b) receiving a definition of an initial state for said cyber-physical system wherein said initial state has a set of qualities and topologies defining said initial state ; (c) generating said set of paths, wherein each path comprises at least one event necessary for transition from said initial state to an end state, which transition can include passage through one or more intermediate states in transit from said initial state to said end state, and wherein said at least one event is indicative of how actions and time can alter said initial state or said one or more intermediate states ; wherein said penalty is a compliance penalty that results from said at least one component being in at least one violation state in which it is noncompliant with a compliance requirement; and by the further steps of: (d) checking each state of the set of paths to identify a set of violation paths from said set of paths where each violation path contains at least one violation state in which said at least one component is noncompliant with said compliance requirement; (e) identifying whether one of said violation paths is associated with said physical component being noncompliant with said compliance requirement; and (f) thereafter performing one or more of the following: adjusting said cyber-physical system so that said violation state cannot occur; and changing a first component of said plurality of components so as to avoid a violation state. (a) receiving a description of each of said plurality of components and a definition of at least one penalty as a quality associated with at least one component of said plurality of components; (b) receiving a definition of an initial state for said cyber-physical system wherein said initial state has a set of qualities and topologies defining said initial state ; (c) generating said set of paths, wherein each path comprises at least one event necessary for transition from said initial state to an end state, which transition can include passage through one or more intermediate states in transit from said initial state to said end state, and wherein said at least one event is indicative of how actions and time can alter said initial state or said one or more intermediate states ; (d) checking each state of the set of paths to identify a set of violation paths from said set of paths where each violation path contains at least one violation state in which said at least one component is noncompliant with said compliance requirement; (e) identifying whether one of said violation paths is associated with said physical component being noncompliant with said compliance requirement; and (f) thereafter performing one or more of the following: adjusting said cyber-physical system so that said violation state cannot occur; and changing a first component of said plurality of components so as to avoid a violation state. adjusting said cyber-physical system so that said violation state cannot occur; and changing a first component of said plurality of components so as to avoid a violation state. <EOS>