CYSE/IT 200

The SCADA System

Explain the vulnerabilities associated with critical infrastructure systems, and the role SCADA applications play in mitigating these risks?

• The vulnerabilities associated with critical infrastructure systems:Critical infrastructure constitutes themselves of properties, systems, and physical and virtual networks as categorized by the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency. Upon reading the article as well as further research the vulnerabilities to these infrastructures can be considered as the installation, assets, applications, systems, or any of their territories that could lose function to its chosen purpose. There are a number of variabilities associated with critical infrastructure systems and threats have increased considerably, leading to more sophisticated attackers and their capabilities. Threats can be accidental, technical, human caused and even natural, that is why protections is important to reduce the amount of risk targeted towards them.

• The role SCADA applications play in mitigating these risks.Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) are known for monitoring and controlling the systems behind closed doors. The Supervisory control and data acquisition systems control oil, gas pipelines, nuclear facilities, water plants, wastewater treatments, wind farms, airports, space stations, ship, production, manufacturing, refining, and power generation.These systems are connected to the networks which makes it vulnerable to cyber-attacks. These systems monitor sites and take in data that is watched and studied to find outlying data. Mitigation risk happens when humans receive data and implement change. The two major threats are unauthorized access to software and access to network segments that host SCADA devices. As a protection the system Sees the data enables fixes, as well as puts automations into play so the infrastructure can continue working if there is a degradation