Sponsored item title goes here as designed, What the Internet of Things means for security, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 7 overlooked cybersecurity costs that could bust your budget. Rising cases of SCADA network attacks and attacks have caused increased discussion of the topic. If these updates are not administered quickly and properly, vulnerabilities occur. To secure IP-based SCADA systems, it is vital to implement secure architectures which prevent access to the SCADA from corporate IT, in addition to excellent management practices in managing IP-based networks. Although, many who operate SCADA systems are undertrained in preventing, monitoring, and identifying potential threats to security.2. The divides that once separated the folks working on the ICS assets from those working on the IT assets still exists. The 4 pillars of Windows network security, Avoiding the snags and snares in data breach reporting: What CISOs need to know, Why CISOs must be students of the business, The 10 most powerful cybersecurity companies. The use of SCADA has been considered also for management and operations of project-driven-process in constr… The SCADA security threats, incidents and vulnerabilities are examined along with issues that impede security advances. This is followed closely by integrity, but confidentially is a distant third. They don’t exist in a bubble anymore. It’s like trying to receive a text on a rotary phone. And because attacks on SCADA networks are increasingly exploiting both physical and cyber vulnerabilities, it’s crucial to align physical security with cybersecurity measures. At the same time, SCADA systems, which serve as the graphical user interface into ICS, are growing at an annual growth rate of 6.6%. Most issues in this category are due to poor training or carelessness. Yes availability is critical, but with these highly complex and connected systems, poor security can have an equally devastating impact on operational uptime. SCADA security is the practice of protecting supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks, a common system of controls used in industrial operations. Yes some people think it but in almost every case I’ve seen they are wrong. To understand why they are fragile it’s important to first understand a bit of the ICS architecture. These networks are responsible for providing automated control and remote human management of essential commodities and services such as water, natural gas, electricity and transportation to millions of people. By Brian Contos, "Having this data from the endpoints to the master station encrypted is a big deal for us to maximize security. These networks are made up of computer hardware and applications and are utilized to control and monitor vital infrastructure in nations where they are employed. Examples, Benefits, and More, Understanding the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and FINRA Rules. Understanding common weaknesses, creating and implementing an action plan to bring security to an acceptable level, and employing a standard operating procedure for security protocols will minimize the risk posed by an increasingly hostile Internet. Read how a customer deployed a data protection program to 40,000 users in less than 120 days. SCADA system security issues [14][15] [16] [17][18][19] have been considered as the most prominent and important counter measures of communication [11][12][13]. Learn about what SCADA security is, examples of threats and vulnerabilities, and more in Data Protection 101, our series on the fundamentals of information security. For example, they were designed to open and close a dam and that’s it. There are a number of common security issues with SCADA: A lack of concern about security and authentication in the design, deployment, and operation of existing Control System networks This kind of extortion is the biggest untold story in the cyber crime industry.” In emerging markets like Mexico and India extortion is pervasive according to studies by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cyber security issues in SCADA systems are further exacerbated by the legacy problem. Brian Contos, CISO & VP Security Strategy with Verodin, has helped build some of the most successful and disruptive cyber security companies in the world. Below Are t he Most Common Threats: OT Systems are vulnerable to attack and should incorporate anti-malware protection, host-based firewall controls, and patch-management policies to reduce exposure. There aren’t a lot of stagecoaches in operation today; instead money is moved around digitally or with an armored truck. However, there are unique challenges faced by SCADA, including availability requirements, performance requirements and low bandwidth associated with SCADA systems. Insider Error: Workers are a common cause of SCADA network issues. There are several possible scenarios for inflicting damage to a SCADA system from the “inside”. recently reported story on DarkReading.com, multiple effective measures to protect each, 451 Research: The Data Loss Prevention Market by the Numbers, The Definitive Guide to Data Classification, The FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool: A Framework for Measuring Cybersecurity Risk and Preparedness in the Financial Industry, What is Security Analytics? It’s a vicious circle -- incorrect conclusions are based on false assumptions. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks are widely used in modern industrial organizations to monitor and analyze real-time data, control both local and remote industrial processes, interact with devices, and log data and events for auditing and other purposes. He is a technology journalist with a decade of experience writing about information security, hackers, and privacy. Terrorists: Hackers may want access for malicious intent, but are typically motivated by sordid gain. This is why penetration testing done for critical infrastructure is rarely conducted in live networks and instead on non-production test beds. Chris Brook is the editor of Data Insider. Once again caused security experts to question the security of SCADA systems. Due to the valuable role and vulnerabilities of these networks, measures are taken by governments and private companies to ensure the safety of these systems. With the growing threat of cyber-attacks and cyber warfare, the security of certain networks is under scrutiny by those hoping to protect them. In many cases, a threat is not detected until hackers have access to certain systems and have begun to exploit them.4. Without Internet connectivity, SCADA already contends with security issues, and additional methods of penetration via the internet make it more vulnerable. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are systems that monitor and control networks for core and critical infrastructure such as power plants, industrial plants, etc. SCADA networks are made up of hardware, firmware, and software. These attacks can range from cyber criminals threatening to turn the lights off if their extortionist demands are not paid to a nation-state trying to knockout an adversary by taking down the electric grid, communication and emergency services before launching a kinetic strike. Asset, vulnerability, and risk assessments should be conducted on an ongoing basis (.PDF) to adapt security measures to the ever-changing threat landscape and promptly address vulnerabilities. The excuse I've heard is that if something happens and anyone needs to access the system at anytime, he or she can’t be hunting for the right password. Knowing all points of data entry and exit is important to identifying all potential access points for malware and hacks. SCADA Security is broad term used to describe the protection of SCADA networks. Why would anybody ping them? These preventative measures can be employed by any industrial control network. common SCADA security problems). A child who knows how the HMI that comes with Simatic works could have accomplished this,” he wrote. Contributor, Lack of software and hardware maintenance. This zone is the traditional IT environment that’s similar to what you might find in a bank, retailer or insurance company. Schneider Electric is a multinational corporation that specializes in energy management automation and SCADA networks. Security for SCADA is a major area of focus because many nations and international corporations depend on SCADA to protect vital infrastructure. Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc. Because of this myth, ICS vendors may not invest in building solutions that are more secure from cyber attacks. According to a recently reported story on DarkReading.com, Schneider was hacked, and the digital assailants gained control of the company’s emergency shutdown system and used it to target one of Schneider’s customers. Subscribe to access expert insight on business technology - in an ad-free environment. App Development Loopholes: Apps have become an increasing part of industrial control systems. Collectively these zones are highly complex, often distributed and well connected. Chris has attended many infosec conferences and has interviewed hackers and security researchers. Prior to joining Digital Guardian he helped launch Threatpost, an independent news site which is a leading source of information about IT and business security for hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide. Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) have equiped our industries for decades, without really worrying about their vulnerability. The major issue is that most of the SCADA systems were set up years before advances of computers and communication networks so that SCADA systems did not evolve as fast as those in the computer systems and communication networks. Some of the systems utilizing SCADA networks include natural gas, electricity, water, and other key services. “This was barely a hack. Equipment that’s several decades old is now communicating with equipment that's just been taken out of bubble wrap. Either intentionally (due to internal work issues) or, more commonly, operator error. SCADA security is a term to describe measures taken to protect SCADA networks as well as to discuss vulnerabilities (i.e. Lack of Maintenance: Software becomes outdated, new application updates are created to improve the functionality or security, and bugs in the programming get fixed. But security procedural issues are a central component of internal threat prevention and include functions like password management and administration. An overview of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems is presented and relevant security concerns are addressed. I do get the sense that there is greater communication between people holding a wrench and people wearing pocket protectors than there was a decade ago, or even just pre-Stuxnet, (there I said it – what would a blog on SCADA security be without at least one mention of Stuxnet) but it still seems to be lacking especially when discussing overall security strategies for attacks that might originate in one zone and migrate to other zones thus impacting disparate technical and cultural domains. Everywhere your system connects to the internet and internal networks should be documented. One way is to … Some of those weaknesses include: 1. Control industrial processes locally or at remote locations 2. An HTTPS protocol adds secure sockets layer (SSL) based security - a standard for keeping an internet connection safe for sending sensitive data between systems. Hackers: Intentional, malicious individuals or groups that are intent on gaining access to key components in SCADA networks. Copyright © 2013 IDG Communications, Inc. However, the increasing connection of SCADA systems to the Internet, as well as corporate networks, introduces severe security issues. The SCADA Systems Security Training course is designed to ensure that the workforce involved in supporting and defending industrial control systems is trained to keep the operational environment safe, secure, and resilient against current and emerging cyber threats. Application whitelisting, firewalls, and unidirectional gateways are just a few of the security measures (.PDF) used in combination to build a defensive security posture for SCADA networks. Each point of the network has its own form of security threats. This zone consists of the actual ICS assets. Default passwords are commonplace – think SNMP with a public sting of “public” and a private string of “private” with the difference being that knowing the default passwords on an ICS might allow you to burnout a multimillion-dollar turbine. This older equipment will have capabilities bolted on -- like TCP/IP stacks. Security is something that needs constant attention. However, hackers are targeting systems with some of the same common weaknesses. These are generally very simple devices that may only do a small number of tasks, such as opening or closing a valve. Does anybody still think there is an air gap between the three zones and by extension public networks like the Internet? These hackers could also be part of a government plan as a type of cyber warfare.2. “You know. As part of the the growing awareness of the security issues in SCADA systems, researchers have analyzed series of attacks and vulnerabilities on the SCADA systems. Teach employees not to click unsafe web pages and not to open any unusual emails. The nature of SCADA systems requires them to be operational 24 hours 7 … Ineffective or outdated training. SCADA security is being taken more seriously but it is still fragile. Monitor, gather, and process real-time data 3. Additionally these SCADA systems can house proprietary information regarding system configuration – how long to bake the pizza dough, where to weld the car door, how much light to expose a bacteria to, or what additives to inject into a polymer. Anyone who has access to these systems, especially apps, should also be documented. Some preventative controls are in place between the zones but if they are bypassed there exist few solutions and processes to effectively monitor and respond to these attacks and remediate the issues collaboratively. Another is to seek out potential threats to the network. There are three primary issues related to SCADA security that have emerged in recent years: unsecured data transmissions, open public network connections and technology standardization. Poor engineering Practice. Monitoring Issues: One type of monitoring is to ensure that systems are running properly. While they may not be specifically targeting these networks, malware still poses a threat to the operation of key infrastructure.3. Industrial control systems, for example, have become widely used in manufacturing, at seaports, in water treatment plans, in oil pipelines, in energy companies, and in building environmental control systems. Everyone from large companies to local and federal governments are all vulnerable to these threats to SCADA security. Siemens recently published a security advisory for a local privilege escalation vulnerability that affects at least 18 of its SCADA software systems and devices. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware elements that allows industrial organizations to: 1. CSO So what does this have to do with ICS? Issues arise when availability is used as a crutch for poor security. |. They weren’t designed to communicate with other systems, be monitored and measured across IT networks, etc. The Handbook of SCADA/Control Systems Security is a fundamental outline of security concepts, methodologies, and relevant information pertaining to the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and technology that quietly operate in the background of critical utility and industrial facilities worldwide. I've heard this  same logic applied to multiple users sharing one group account with no individual accountability. Typically, malware is not used to harm SCADA systems, but it still possesses the ability to cause harm to a business’s infrastructure through spyware and viruses. Specific types of threats to SCADA networks fall into four categories: 1. According to Allan Paller, Director of the SANS Institute, “Hundreds of millions of dollars have been extorted, and maybe more. Terrorists are typically driven to cause as much damage as possible to critical systems of particular services.4. There is a technology gap. Directly interact with devices such as sensors, valves, pumps, motors, and more through human-machine interface (HMI) software 4. The SCADA systems have been target of attacks particularly in the last two decades with the advancements in technology. Every now and again I think that we’ve moved passed this … AND SCADA/ICS CYBERSECURITY VULNERABILITIES AND THREATS Operational Technology (OT) Systems Lack Basic Security Controls. It takes a carefully thought-out combination of security policies and effective controls to adequately secure today’s complex industrial control systems. Cultural, Political and Technical Divides. Remember cowboy movies where the stagecoach carrying bags of money, generally marked with dollar signs, was robbed? 1. Yet, many applications being developed lack the level of security to be expected for such vital systems.3. At a high level, most of these organizations have three operational zones. Record events into a log fileSCADA systems are crucial for i… Some people may disagree with this, but ICS systems are highly connected. Natural gas pipelines, power plants, water treatment facilities, and even military bases are often dependent on SCADA technology. They aren’t engineered in many cases to deal with something unexpected like a ping – because as stated earlier, they may only do two or three things. Additionally, they are high-value targets for attackers. SCADA networks are made up of hardware, firmware, and software. Availability does trump everything else across critical infrastructure and it should. However, there are a few components of SCADA security that are common to any network. Consequently, they faced little to no cyber-security risk from external attackers. 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