Liana Jones
CYSE-200T
4\/8\/2026
Professor Duvall
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Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and SCADA Systems
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BLUF: Critical infrastructure systems face potential risks due to aging infrastructure,
connectivity, and insecure processes.Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition(SCADA)
systems reduce security risk by monitoring, automation, and control of these systems.
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Introduction:
Critical infrastructure refers to vital services that we use every day, like energy, water, and
transportation. SCADA technology is used to help operate and monitor these critical systems.
SCADA can increase efficiency and provide visibility but comes with cyber risks.
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Vulnerabilities in Critical Infrastructure:
Critical infrastructure relies on outdated technology that wasn\u2019t built with cybersecurity in mind.
Security features like encryption and strong authentication are often missing from these old
systems. Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems has evolved to include more
network connectivity, cloud integration, and remote access capabilities which increases cyber
risk (Splunk, 2024) .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weak security controls like poor access controls and failing to patch systems is another
concern. Cyberattacks can have real world consequences because these systems control
physical components. These attacks can cause downtime, denial of service, and even physical
damage to the systems. The article I read for SCADA Systems noted that the increase of
connectivity and complexity also make infrastructure harder to protect.
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Role of SCADA Systems in Risk Mitigation:
SCADA systems help reduce risk by allowing for real-time monitoring and control. They gather
information from sensors and allow operators to quickly identify abnormal behavior and take
action if there is a problem. This increases safety as well as efficiency (Splunk, 2024). SCADA
systems also allow for automation that can help prevent human error and allow for faster
reaction to potential threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New SCADA systems have safety features built in such as network segmentation, access
control, and continuous monitoring which can help identify abnormal behavior to prevent attacks
(Splunk, 2024). The course article did point out that SCADA systems can be attacked if not
properly secured so cybersecurity is important when dealing with SCADA systems.
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Conclusion:
The threats and vulnerabilities that plague our critical infrastructures often involve legacy
equipment that is exposed to connectivity. By using SCADA systems to enhance monitoring and
automation as well as security we can lessen these threats and vulnerabilities. SCADA systems
are only effective if they are configured properly and current security procedures are taken to
stay ahead of cyber criminals.
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References:
\u25cf SCADA Systems Article (Course Material)
\u25cf Splunk. SCADA Systems: What They Are & How They Work.
https:\/\/www.splunk.com\/en_us\/blog\/learn\/scada-systems.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Liana JonesCYSE-200T4\/8\/2026Professor Duvall Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities and SCADA Systems BLUF: Critical infrastructure systems face potential risks due to aging infrastructure,connectivity, and insecure processes.Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition(SCADA)systems reduce security risk by monitoring, automation, and control of these systems. Introduction:Critical infrastructure refers to vital services that we use every day, like energy, water, andtransportation. SCADA technology… <\/p>\n