Raegan Adgerson
CYSE 200T
April 8th, 2026
Professor Duvall

2026: SCADA Systems – Infrastructure and Systems

BLUF: This document will discuss SCADA, its systems, and architecture. SCADA is crucial to industrial operations as it is an industrial control system. It uses a network of hardware and software components. The industries that are most involved with using SCADA happen to be electricity, gas, water, etc.

What is SCADA

SCADA is vital to industrial organizations because of its centralized systems that can control multiple complex networks spread across large areas. It essentially creates a “mission control” for technicians. SCADA uses a network arrangement controlled by programmable logic controllers or remote terminal units. As of right now, remote terminal units are becoming more popular and used than programmable logic controllers. PLC’s and RTUs are microcomputers that communicate via sensors, processors, and end devices.

How SCADA works

SCADA connects the machines through sensors. These sensors tell the HMI (Human Machine Interface) the information that the technician needs to maintain the entire system. I briefly mentioned PLC’s and RTUs. These machines are critical to the SCADA’s network. PLC’s specifically monitor the sensors and are extremely important in keeping everything working. A PLC will alert the technician through the human machine interface, which makes it easier for them to track the problems and fix them. SCADA systems are essential to ensure efficiency and eliminate the risk of downtime.

Why SCADA is Important

SCADA systems are used to increase efficiency, decrease downtime, and help technicians make smarter decisions. Before SCADA, industries had to rely on manual controls and analog switches. A technician had to be sent to the machine that was causing the problems. Thanks to SCADA, technicians no longer need to be in the machine’s vicinity to fix it. This streamlines the system and makes it more efficient for technicians.

Conclusion

The evolution of SCADA is amazingly important to the industries that now require it. Before SCADA, everything was analog and much harder on technicians. The level of integration of these technologies is helpful but also dangerous. As these technologies progress and become more intertwined with each other. It makes them easier to hack. Hopefully, with time, SCADA will progress further and be less vulnerable to cyberattacks.