New,Threats,Utility,SCADA,Syst computer New Threats to Utility SCADA Systems
Gone are those times when the companies and the organisations didn't need a hi-tech system to handle them. Owing to the considerable increase in the business sector and thus, an enormous increase in the complexity of the organisational struc ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes a
Mission Critical Systems for the Energy IndustrySupervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems thatcollect and manage data across a large facility from a centralcomputer, play a major role in the utility industry, helping to managelarge and diverse information loads from power plants of all types.Interconnectivity has made these systems increasingly vulnerable tocyber attacks.The Growing Vulnerability of SCADA SystemsThe control systems for the electric grid used to operate in astand-alone environment without computer or communication links to anexternal Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. Over the pastfifteen years such stand-alone enclaves have been increasinglyconnected to both the corporate environment and the external world, andthe utility SCADA systems are no exception. Computer and communicationnetwork interconnection brings with it thepotential for cyber attacks on these systems by adversaries. This is acritical problem since such an attack can affect several entitiesacross the country simultaneously. Such attacks have the enhancedpotential to cause a cascading negative effect to the Bulk Power System.SCADA System Threats Are More Vulnerable Than EverSCADA systems are coming in line with standard networkingtechnologies. The current generation of SCADA systems is increasinglyusing open system architecture to distribute functionality across awide-area network (WAN) for communication between the master stationand communications equipment.SCADA systems are becoming ubiquitous. Thin clients, web portals,and web-based products are gaining popularity with most major vendors.The increased convenience of end users viewing their processes remotelyintroduces security considerations resulting in SCADA-based systemsbeing vulnerable to cyber-attacks.The mission-critical nature of a large number of SCADA systemsmakes them targets of cyber-terrorist. In a worst case scenario,failure of a SCADA system could cause massive financial losses throughloss of data or actual physical destruction, misuse or theft, even lossof life, either directly or indirectly.SCADA systems no longer have the benefit of security-throughobscurity that may have existed in the past from the use of specializedprotocols and proprietary interfaces. Increasingly, SCADA networks arebeing connected to the Internet.Similar to other networked technologies, SCADA networks must have physical, administrative, and technical security safeguards.Security and authentication in designing, deploying, and operatingSCADA networks is paramount. For example, security devices such asIPS/IDS, firewalls, and other technological security measures must bedeployed to help protect SCADA systems. Automated security informationmanagement solutions are also needed to help consolidate the securitylogs across the SCADA system wide-area network. Article Tags: Utility Scada Systems, Utility Scada, Scada Systems, Scada System, Scada Networks
New,Threats,Utility,SCADA,Syst