Evaluation of security solutions in the SCADA environment

Abstract

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems control and monitor the electric power grid, water treatment facilities, oil and gas pipelines, railways, and other critical infrastructure assets. With the advent of greater connectivity via the Internet, organizations that own and operate these systems have increasingly interconnected them with their enterprise network to take advantage of cost savings and operational benefits. Now, these once isolated systems are susceptible to a wider range of threats resulting from new pathways into the network that previously did not exist. Recommendations for safeguarding SCADA systems include employment of traditional information technology (IT) security solutions; however, mitigation strategies designed for IT systems must first be evaluated prior to deployment on a SCADA system to quantify and to minimize the risk of adverse operational impacts. This article examines the employment of traditional IT security mechanisms in the SCADA environment. We provide considerations that should be evaluated prior to deploying security controls to mitigate negative impacts on operations. A case study is provided that evaluates a host-based intrusion detection system and a petrochemical fuels management SCADA system.