Name: Jackson Pratt

Critical Infrastructure Risks and SCADA Systems Essay

BLUF

Critical infrastructure presents major cybersecurity concerns due to lack of technological updates and expanding connectivity. SCADA systems reduce cyber risk by allowing centralized monitoring and control, faster response to abnormal events, and automation of critical processes.

Introduction

Critical infrastructure environments support vital services that people around the world heavily rely on during their daily lives. These resources include electrical grids, water supply, transportation systems, and manufacturing plants. Critical systems use Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to operate safely and effectively; SCADA is one type of ICS commonly deployed throughout these environments. Although SCADA provides numerous benefits to organizations, it also presents its own security considerations. This paper will discuss the primary vulnerabilities that exist throughout critical infrastructure and how SCADA can help mitigate risk.

Major Vulnerabilities

First, critical infrastructure was not always as connected as it is today. These environments were originally built to function without connection to corporate networks, and many still operate using outdated technology. In recent years, organizations have connected more of these systems to their internal networks and, in some cases, to the internet. While these connections allow critical infrastructure to function more efficiently, they also create opportunities for cyberattacks to occur.

Second, aging systems are still prevalent throughout critical infrastructure environments. Old hardware and software that was never designed with security in mind are often impossible or difficult for organizations to replace. These older systems often contain known vulnerabilities that are left unpatched, leaving attackers with more opportunities to exploit.

Third, authentication and access control are also common areas where security vulnerabilities are found. Weak passwords, lack of multi-factor authentication, and poor remote access configurations can allow attackers to gain access to critical systems.

Fourth, dependencies within these environments cause failures to become larger than they would in traditional IT. Because critical infrastructure is completely linked together, if one system goes down, others will fall with it. Attackers know this and use it to their advantage when attacking these systems.

Finally, supply chain risks are prevalent throughout critical infrastructure. Third-party vendors are used by numerous organizations to provide goods and services. If an attacker is able to gain a foothold within a vendor’s network, they can use that access to pivot to critical systems.

How SCADA Systems Help Reduce Risk

SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. These systems monitor industrial processes and collect data from various sensors and pieces of equipment. This allows operators to view how systems are performing and alert personnel when action needs to be taken. SCADA benefits critical infrastructure for many reasons; they allow for centralized visibility of these large-scale systems.

Remote equipment can also be controlled from SCADA systems. Once again, this allows for faster responses to abnormal events while also limiting the number of employees required to manage these systems.

Although SCADA environments can present security concerns, there are steps that can be taken to reduce cybersecurity risks. As previously mentioned, these systems allow for centralized monitoring of critical infrastructure. If an organization leverages this benefit, they will have more visibility into the security of their environment. SCADA systems can be used to automate processes as well. Automation eliminates the risk of human error, which could lead to accidental system failures.

Incident response is also made easier with SCADA systems. These platforms have the ability to log all system activity. If an incident occurs, having access to this logged information can help identify what went wrong. If a SCADA system is properly secured using network segmentation, strong access control measures, and intrusion detection systems, they can greatly reduce cybersecurity risks.

Conclusion

Critical infrastructure continues to grow more vulnerable to cyber attacks as systems are connected to corporate networks and the internet. Old hardware and software that contain known vulnerabilities are still being used every day. As previously stated, there are many benefits that SCADA provides to critical infrastructure; however, security is not one of them. When these systems are properly managed with cybersecurity in mind, SCADA can help mitigate risk.

Work Cited

Reichert, Emily. “What is SCADA?” EDGAR Course Labs, https://course.edgar.io/839/lectures/7972#/.