Based on the SCADA Systems article provided and the other articles read for extensive research, SCADA systems are the systems that control and process the automation of water valves, oil, gas, and wastewater treatment. Ideally infrastructure systems are supposed to improve the functionality of a society. However, infrastructure systems come with many risks. To name a few, with infrastructure systems you have to worry about software incompatibility, disaster recovery, and networking issues and outages. Especially in places that are prone to lots of natural disasters like Florida and Louisianna. Situations of that sort regarding outages are especially dangerous when places like hospitals are impacted. Furthermore, in current day, a lot of infrastructure systems are, one at risks, or two have already been attacked by cyberwarfare.

To elaborate, there was a situation that occurred when a hacker infiltrated the city of Oldsmar, Florida’s water treatment plant and raised the sodium hydroxide levels dangerously high. If the plant operator wasn’t paying attention and hadn’t noticed that his mouse cursor was moving strangely and out of his control, a different tale could’ve unfortunately been told about the 15,000-person city.

Cases like the previously mentioned are the main reason we need SCADA systems. The SCADA systems help to mitigate those risks by implementing security measures such as cameras, enhancing process controls, and by improving overall operational efficiency.