SCADA Systems are great combinations of software and hardware that are used in only
industrial environments. It can also be associated with critical infrastructure systems to assist in countering attacks and which, while operational, can be vulnerable to attacks sent to critical infrastructure systems due to lack of planning or without consideration resulting in compromise of systems and or worse.
The vulnerabilities associated with critical infrastructure systems can include a very big
list of attacks related to other systems such as attacks that involve obtaining confidential or
sensitive data from companies. This can also include algorithms, which most of the time only steal passwords for user accounts to gain company information. Critical infrastructure systems can also be vulnerable to these things such as malware, viruses, spyware, and ransomware. With such a big system, SCADA having poorly implemented OT remote access controls are possible, resulting in more threats taking advantage of that very system, making it hard to counter attacks. Bad human interactions and old operating systems also come to play in terms of being attacked and having many valuable things in the system compromised. Many other ways could be added in the future from attackers, displaying the big dangers critical infrastructure systems often
encounter.
Thankfully there’s a strategic solution and a role SCADA applications play to mitigate
these risks and attacks and it’s through the architecture SCADA systems use to protect on. High visibility on processes and data from key components in the ICS is made possible through pumps, valves and transmitters. SCADA systems monitor and control the automated processes in the ICS resulting in greater centralized control during the times of concern opposed to the need to access the physical location of the ICS component that could cause worry. Implementation of security information along with adding event management systems is another part SCADA systems take so that they can analyze quicker identification of threats or unusual activity, protecting critical infrastructure systems from it all. Proactivity on searching for attacks improves people’s communication in the work environment as well as detecting hacks better in the long run. VPNs and firewalls are always a good bonus to all the attacks they avoid.
In conclusion, critical infrastructure systems experience many things when it comes to
encountering attacks and SCADA systems play a big responsible role in destroying these attacks. They may sometimes never come prepared due to fast occurring times and the way systems operate in timely way, along with how brutal the attacks/attackers can be, but if they always have a plan in the end, they can deal with them in a way to reach back to normal in the cyber environment. No attack can bypass any system if this type of contribution and problem-solving in general continues efficiently.
References
• Cyberpaul or PBROW010, “Using SCADA to Protect Critical Infrastructure and
Systems”, December 6, 2020, WordPress.com.
https://sites.wp.odu.edu/cyberpaul/2020/12/06/using-scada-to-protect-critical-
infrastructure-and-systems/
• Amos Zac, “9 SCADA System Vulnerabilities and How to Secure Them”, gca.isa.org.
https://gca.isa.org/blog/9-scada-system-vulnerabilities-and-how-to-secure-
them#:~:text=7.,enabling%20quicker%20identification%20of%20anomalies.
• The Claroty Team, “SCADA Risk Management: Protecting Critical Infrastructure”,
February 21st, 2024, Claroty.com.
https://claroty.com/blog/scada-risk-management-protecting-critical-infrastructure