SCADA Systems 

Name: Jaqua Turner 

Date: 03/27/2022 

Details 

Supervisory control and data acquisition or SCADA is used to manage infrastructure control systems and command its processes. Critical infrastructure systems are utilized daily, and it is crucial that they are able to run efficiently. Unfortunately, critical infrastructures have been attacked in the past. There have been physical attacks on airports, railways, and even electrical power grids. These physical attacks have come in various forms and aim to either destroy or take advantage of these systems with nefarious intent. An example of SCADA actively working to combat these attacks would be the full body scanners in airports used to detect any prohibited items. The attacks, however, are not always physical and can be difficult to detect. Now that our society is living in the digital age, it is not uncommon for people to commit cyber-attacks on infrastructures. Cyber criminals have committed multiple noted attacks on critical infrastructure systems around the world. In 2020 cyber criminals attacked the Israeli water supply system by taking advantage of its outdated command control system and attempted to spike the water by increasing chemical output. They attempted this attack at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle of a heatwave. Fortunately, the SCADA systems noticed the changes in the water and an alarm was sounded, but had they been successful the criminals would have crippled the country. I feel this is a notable example of how important SCADA architecture is in relation to critical infrastructure. Without these systems in place, it leaves the door open for others to take advantage of infrastructure vulnerabilities and potentially make life difficult for everyone. 

References 

Tal, J. (2022, September 18). StackPath. Security Infowatch. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.securityinfowatch.com/access-identity/access-control/article/12427447/americas-critical-infrastructure-threats-vulnerabilities-and-solutions 

Wienburg, A. (2021, June 2). Analysis of top 11 cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. First Point. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.firstpoint-mg.com/blog/analysis-of-top-11-cyber-attackson-critical-infrastructure/