SCADA Systems – Mitigating Risks

Cybersecurity professionals have an important role in protecting critical infrastructure from both cyber and physical threats. SCADA Systems have been used in the cyber world in order to protect critical infrastructure from vulnerabilities. With the ability to communicate with vital systems, provide troubleshooting tactics and real-time data, and reduce downtime and energy costs, SCADA Systems will continue to mitigate the vulnerabilities in the critical infrastructure systems that allow humans to function in our technology driven society.

What is SCADA?

SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition, and it is responsible for controlling infrastructure processes in real-time (“SCADA Systems”, n.d.). SCADA is essential to protecting critical infrastructure. Vital systems, including power distribution systems, oil, water, and gas systems are all examples of infrastructure supported by SCADA (“What is SCADA Systems?”, n.d.). The reason why SCADA is so crucial to manufacturing is because it allows users to view real-time data on infrastructure through their network (“What is SCADA Systems”, n.d.). This allows operators to view problems and/or errors as they appear and make quick changes. The ability to fix a problem as soon as it arrives saves time, money, and energy, and makes infrastructure more secure. With human machine interface, or HMI, in combination with advanced hardware, SCADA can relay diagrams of systems to operators, display detailed and complex data, allow the operator to control processes, and send alerts on issues through text messages and emails (“SCADA Systems”, n.d.).

Vulnerabilities

There are many vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure that SCADA mitigates. Critical infrastructures are vulnerable to cyber attacks, which often come in the form of viruses or hackers. When a critical infrastructure is compromised, the consequences can be dire. For example, a cyber attack in December, 2015 targeted utility companies in Ukraine and caused a black-out, leaving hundreds of houses without power for hours on end (“Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructure”, June 2016). In addition, the infection of critical infrastructures by malicious software can cause operators to lose complete control of systems and processes. Losing control of these crucial systems, even for a short period of time, can lead to mass financial loss and public panic. This is why SCADA’s real-time alerts and data are so essential to mitigating the risk of losing control of infrastructure to a cyber attack. Detailed reports on data and information on troubleshooting through HMI can allow operators to resolve errors and prevent problems from escalating in a timely manner. The ability to react to an error as soon as it arrives is invaluable, and can potentially stop disasters before they even start.

Conclusion

Although SCADA is useful, there are some concerns on its reliability and security. Unauthorized users may be able to gain access to the host machine and make unwanted changes, as well as infiltrate the system using physical network switches that bypass VPN protection (“SCADA Systems”, n.d.). Losing the SCADA system to a cyber attack can leave critical infrastructure fully unprotected and incredibly vulnerable. However, specialized VPN and firewalls are being developed to further protect SCADA’s security and reliability (“SCADA Systems”, n.d.). Overall, SCADA is indispensable to ensuring the protection of critical infrastructure through its real-time updates and HMI. The use of SCADA will likely save millions of dollars in financial losses to cyber attacks and viruses. As technology advances and professionals tap into SCADA’s true potential, SCADA will only become more efficient and secure.

References

Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructure. (June, 2016). Allianz. https://commercial.allianz.com/news-and-insights/expert-risk-articles/cyber-attacks-on-critical-infrastructure.html#:~:text=Industry%20sectors%20vulnerable%20to%20cyber,manufacturing%20industries%20are%20also%20vulnerable.

SCADA Systems. (n.d.) SCADA Systems. https://www.scadasystems.net/.

What is SCADA Systems? | Benefits of SCADA in Manufacturing. (n.d.) Phoenix Control Systems Limited INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION. https://phoenixcontrol.co.uk/scada-systems/.