What are SCADA Systems?
The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used to control infrastructure processes. The need for SCADA is to be used in industrial systems to monitor, control, and analyze infrastructure processes. “A SCADA system will make the organization run more efficiently, reduce waste and downtime, expand productivity, and extend equipment life.” [1] SCADA is a critical infrastructure system that comes with vulnerabilities but also has the ability to mitigate those risks.
Vulnerabilities
The security of SCADA systems could be questioned due to the fact there are vulnerabilities. Many vulnerabilities and threats could arise, such as hackers, malware, and human error, since SCADA is a potential target of cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare attacks. “Another threat will be malware, including viruses, spyware, and other programs targeting the network, posing a threat to the critical infrastructure system.” [1] Human error or either employees causing problems could be because of the lack of training, carelessness, or even by operator error unintentionally. “Unauthorized access to software, virus infections, or trying to control the host and will always be major threat to SCADA systems.” [2]
Mitigating Risks
The role SCADA application plays in mitigating the risks are taken by preventive measures to protect the systems. Preventive measures should be put into place to mitigate the vulnerabilities. “The preventive measures include allowing only authorized users, avoiding unauthorized changes, packets access to the network, and other issues.” [2] Organizations should develop a virtual private network (VPN), firewall solutions, report monitoring, and standard protocols should be taken on an ongoing basis to address vulnerabilities quickly.
Conclusion
Critical infrastructure systems are essential to our society because they supply a lot to our economy and every-day life. These critical infrastructure systems must be monitored for any threats and vulnerabilities that may occur. Being able to be aware of when these threats arise, implement a preventive measure plan, and having standard
operating procedures for security issues protocols will help mitigate the threats associated with the critical infrastructure systems.
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