How SCADA Systems Secure Critical Infrastructure

Various vulnerabilities within the critical infrastructure of our society are discussed and how SCADA Systems interact with those vulnerabilities. 

SCADA Defined

SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and protects industry control systems, such as pipelines, manufacturing, airports, and shipping. These systems are regulated and controlled by various software systems that can automatically monitor and control them to make sure they work most efficiently and correctly. They also collect essential data that allows executives to make the most informed decisions possible (SCADA, 2024). SCADA Systems are essential for businesses, but it is extremely important to secure them because of how important they are. 

Security Risks

Critical infrastructure being controlled by computers has many advantages, however, it has one major disadvantage: the ability to be infiltrated from across the world. For example, when the Stuxnet virus infected the nuclear power plant in Iran, the systems that monitored and controlled temperatures and humidity were modified so that the chemicals were unusable, but collected data that represented everything as working as normal and spoofed it (Kushner, 2024). Counter-intelligence programs can send ransomware, DDoS attacks, phishing emails, and more to gain control of enemy countries’ critical infrastructure, effectively shutting down major parts of their society. 

Security Solutions

Although there are risks associated with SCADA Systems, they are far too useful not to utilize in all industries. Preventing attacks requires cybersecurity measures and training of employees so they know what to look out for. Cybersecurity measures include intrusion detection systems, audits, firewalls, segmentation of processes, air gapped machines, backup systems, and more. Employees should also have bare minimum training on phishing emails and how to identify scams or impersonators. The more strategies and systems that are in place to prevent unauthorized access, the harder it is for a bad actor to infiltrate the system. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, SCADA Systems are the most essential tool in critical infrastructure for keeping everything moving forward and efficiently. This importance attracts people who want to take down countries because of their power, so it is extremely important that SCADA Systems are secured with a multitude of strategies and products. Proper implementation of these cybersecurity elements prevents attackers from being able to take down society. 

References

Kushner, D. (2024, May 24). The real story of Stuxnet. IEEE Spectrum. https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-real-story-of-stuxnet

SCADA. (2024, October 31). Inductive Automation. https://inductiveautomation.com/resources/article/what-is-scada