Intro
Critical infrastructure systems are very important when it comes to keeping a society functioning,
but due to bad actors, these systems are also very susceptible to cyber attacks. These systems
include power grids, water facilities, transportation networks, gas pipelines, etc. Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems help significantly with monitoring and controlling
these facilities, but it also introduces heavy vulnerabilities.
Body
One of the main challenges facing these critical infrastructure systems is the fact that many
SCADA systems were created to function in isolated environments, meaning that they are not to
be connected to external networks. Though, as times go on, these systems are interfacing with
the internet more and more often, which leaves them open to potential cyber threats. (SCADA
Systems, p. 3).
Vulnerabilities to these systems generally are created by a lack of security protocols, outdated
operating systems, and insufficient isolation. For example, if a SCADA system is on the same
network as a company’s databases, a breach of security in either system could lead to both being
compromised.
According to the InfoSec Institute (2020), one of the biggest threats to these SCADA systems is
the fact that they were not created with security in mind. This may allow attackers to listen in on
network traffic that they otherwise would not be able to see. It may also leave them open to
attacks like SQL Injection. (InfoSec Institute, 2020)
With these risks in mind, SCADA systems are also a big part of the solution to these problems.
They collect and display a lot of data about system performance which allows operators to detect
anomalies and act on them accordingly. On top of this, SCADA is developing “specialized
industrial VPN and firewall solutions” to improve the security of their systems. (SCADA Systems,
p. 6).
Conclusion
SCADA systems play an important role in monitoring and controlling critical infrastructure. Their
increased exposure to the internet leaves them open to cybersecurity risks now more than ever.
With SCADA developing specialized security tools, it helps to decrease the risk to critical
infrastructure.