{"id":285,"date":"2026-10-05T03:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T03:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/?p=285"},"modified":"2026-10-05T03:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T03:53:10","slug":"scada-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/2026\/10\/05\/scada-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"SCADA paper"},"content":{"rendered":"Cyniah Dunlap <br \/>Old Dominion University <br \/>CYSE 201: Cybersecurity<br \/> Charlie Kirkpatrick <br \/>September 19, 2026<br \/>SCADA Systems: Vulnerabilities in Critical Infrastructure and the Role of SCADA in Risk Mitigation<br \/>            A lot of things we use every day depend on computers to work. This includes electricity. Clean water. Transportation. Factories. These systems are called critical infrastructure because people depend on them. Since computers are involved hackers can try to attack them. SCADA systems are one type of technology that helps control and monitor these important systems. SCADA helps things run smoothly but it can also create security problems if it is not protected. This paper explains what SCADA is. It also explains where it is used. It talks about some of its weaknesses and what can happen if it gets attacked. It also explains how organizations can protect it.<br \/><br \/>What SCADA Systems Are and Their Role in Critical Infrastructure<br \/>           SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. Basically SCADA is a system that helps people watch and control machines and equipment from a computer. It can be used to control things in different places even when those places are far away from each other (SCADA Systems, n.d.).<br \/>         SCADA uses different types of equipment. This includes sensors. It also uses controllers. Computers and communication networks are used too. Workers can use these systems to see what is happening and make changes when needed (Awati &amp; Loshin, 2025). For example imagine a water treatment plant. SCADA can help workers see how much water is moving through the system. It can also help them check chemical levels. Workers can make changes without having to go to every machine. This makes it easier to manage large systems (Loshin, 2021).<br \/>SCADA Applications Across Industries<br \/>     SCADA is used in many different industries. One example is electricity. SCADA can help control how electricity is produced and sent to different places. SCADA is also used at water treatment plants. It can control pumps. It can control valves and chemicals that are used to clean water. It can also help workers keep track of water quality. <br \/>     Transportation systems can use SCADA too. For example it can help control railroad signals and pipelines. Factories can use SCADA to control machines. It can also help workers notice when something is not working correctly.<br \/>         Healthcare facilities can use systems like SCADA as well. These systems can help control things like heating and cooling. They can also help with backup power. Basically SCADA helps people watch and control important equipment without having to be right next to it.<br \/>Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Associated with SCADA Systems<br \/>           Even though SCADA is useful it can have security problems. One problem is that some SCADA systems are very old. Another problem is that SCADA systems can be connected to other computer networks. This can give hackers more ways to get into them.<br \/>Old Technology and Weak Passwords<br \/>      SCADA systems use old computers and software that are no longer supported or updated. This can make them easier to attack. A good example happened in February 2021 at a water treatment plant in Oldsmar Florida. A hacker got into the plant&#8217;s SCADA system using remote access software. The plant was using an old version of Windows. It did not have a firewall. It also used the same password for remote access on every computer (Cybersecurity Dive, 2021).<br \/>      The hacker changed the amount of sodium hydroxide in the water. Sodium hydroxide is also called lye. The amount was raised to about 100 times the normal level. Luckily a worker noticed what happened and changed it back before the water was affected (ASCE, 2021). This shows why strong passwords and updated software are important. Other security protections are important too.<br \/>Connecting IT and OT<br \/>          Another problem is that SCADA systems can be connected to regular company networks and the internet. This can make it easier for workers to access the systems from different places. However it can also give hackers another way to get in. For example hackers could use phishing emails. They could also use malware or stolen passwords to get into a network. Once they get inside they may be able to reach systems that control real machines and equipment (Labus, 2022).<br \/>Potential Impact of a Cyberattack on SCADA Systems<br \/>     A SCADA attack can be serious because it can affect more than just computers. It can actually affect things in the real world. In December 2015 hackers attacked power companies in Ukraine. They were able to control SCADA systems and shut off electricity for about 225,000 customers during the winter (ordr.net, n.d.).<br \/>       The Oldsmar water treatment attack is another example. If the worker had not noticed the chemical level being changed the water could have become dangerous. SCADA attacks can also cause businesses to stop working. They can cost organizations money and affect important services.<br \/>Strategies to Improve SCADA Security and Resilience<br \/>    There are several ways organizations can protect SCADA systems. First organizations can separate SCADA systems from regular company networks and the internet. This makes it harder for hackers to move from one system to another.Organizations should also use strong and different passwords. They should not use one password everywhere. They can also use multifactor authentication. This requires more than just a password to log in.<br \/>      Keeping software updated is another important step. If a system is too old organizations should plan to replace it when possible. Physical safety measures can help too. For example alarms can warn workers when something unusual happens. The Oldsmar water treatment plant had an alarm that helped the worker notice the problem. Finally workers should receive cybersecurity training. Organizations should also have a plan for what to do if a cyberattack happens. Regular security checks can help find problems before hackers do.<br \/>Conclusion<br \/>     SCADA systems are important because they help control things that people depend on every day. This includes electricity. Water. Transportation and factories. However SCADA systems can also have security weaknesses. This is especially true when they use old technology. Weak passwords can also create problems. Connecting SCADA systems to other networks can create risks too.<br \/>       The attacks in Ukraine and Oldsmar show that a cyberattack can affect more than just computers. It can affect electricity. It can affect water. It can affect businesses and people&#8217;s safety. Protecting SCADA systems means using strong passwords. It also means keeping systems updated and separating networks. Alarms can help too. Training workers is also important.<br \/><br \/>References<br \/>ASCE. (2021, March). Cyberattack on Florida water treatment facility should prompt security assessments. Civil Engineering Source. https:\/\/www.asce.org\/publications-and-news\/civil-engineering-source\/civil-engineering-magazine\/article\/2021\/03\/cyberattack-on-florida-water-treatment-facility-should-prompt-security-assessments<br \/>Awati, R., &amp; Loshin, P. (2025). SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition). TechTarget.<br \/>Cybersecurity Dive. (2021, February 12). Hackers gained remote access to Oldsmar, FL water plant&#8217;s SCADA system. https:\/\/www.cybersecuritydive.com\/news\/water-supply-cyber-attack-florida-ics-security\/594764\/<br \/>Labus, J. (2022). Cybersecurity of critical infrastructure with ICS\/SCADA systems.<br \/>Loshin, P. (2021). SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems overview. TechTarget.<br \/>ordr.net. (n.d.). SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition). Ordr Glossary. https:\/\/ordr.net\/glossary\/scada-supervisory-control-and-data-acquisition<br \/>SCADA Systems. (n.d.). SCADA systems. https:\/\/www.scadasystems.net<br \/><br \/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cyniah Dunlap Old Dominion University CYSE 201: Cybersecurity Charlie Kirkpatrick September 19, 2026SCADA Systems: Vulnerabilities in Critical Infrastructure and the Role of SCADA in Risk Mitigation A lot of things we use every day depend on computers to work. This includes electricity. Clean water. Transportation. Factories. These systems are called critical infrastructure because people depend&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/2026\/10\/05\/scada-paper\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":32865,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32865"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":286,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285\/revisions\/286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyniahdunlap\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}