CYSE200T TR 9:30-10:45am
SCADA Systems Write-Up
Josh Whetzel
SCADA systems are crucial to nearly every type of business around the world. They control things such as pipes, gas lines, airports, and even space stations. SCADA systems do not directly control thing but tell them how they should work. These systems usually supervise what is going on within a certain process.
SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. They refer to industrial control systems and industrial and facility-based control systems. These all regulate their designated means of production or needs. On a basic level, they use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or remote terminal units (RTUs). They are microcomputers that communicate with the machines to help with information.
These systems help to control data and gather information. They gather, monitor, and process real-time data into a log a file that gives the company insight to positives and negatives of their operations. They can also control smaller devices such as motors, valves, pumps, or even sensors. SCADA systems take all the information that they gather and send them to computers where users can access the data.
They will also notify operators if something is wrong within the system. This helps them because they can shut off a certain machine quickly if something is wrong. This also prevents partial or total loss of a product. Everything within a SCADA system helps to monitor the flow of data and sends it directly to a computer.
Having SCADA systems in place is very important to a variety of businesses. If a hacker were to get into the system, they could shut off certain things from lights or power, to security cameras or other important security measures. Having these systems in place however will not keep out hackers or terrorists. They are simply there in the event of someone getting in and messing with things that the users on the receiving end of the attack will be notified.
The SCADA systems sort through all kinds of data and check for irregularities. They recognize patterns in internet traffic or certain routines of users. For example, if a user accesses a certain webpage or system at 2pm every day for 6 months but then accesses it at 3am on a weekend, that would most likely come up in the system as a yellow or red flag. However, they are not extremely strict. They are tolerant of small human errors.
References:
What is SCADA? (2018, September 12). https://inductiveautomation.com/resources/article/what-is-scada.