Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are computers used for controlling facility or manufacturing environments.
Computers with standard OS types such as Microsoft or UNIX housing vendor-specific software that interfaces directly to control devices are components for these systems.These computers run multiple functions from manufacturing, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning(HVAC), utility engineering, and many other task-orientated solutions.
Commercial, research and government agencies use them to manage their day-to-day operations that provide a service or product. These platforms can also be a strong target for terrorists wanting to cripple foreign government infrastructures.
CyberSec has the expertise and services needed to manage these complex infrastructure environments.
SCADA and ICS Security Crisis
SCADA security and ICS vulnerability concerns are growing as these types of platforms are being forgotten during an organization’s risk management analysis.Imagine a hacker taking down your whole building in power, water, or gas infrastructure that can cripple operations and even threaten and endanger human life. Detailed analysis, such as SCADA testing scans can help resolve this.
The hardware and software that normally supports these unique interface devices tend to get missed and hardly updated. We collaborate with your organization and our SCADA and ICS solution provider to identify risks and vulnerabilities so your current solution providers can mitigate them.
Design Challenges
Legacy open connectivity
A large majority of legacy providers have acknowledged to security groupsthat the original intent and design for SCADA and ICS models was to provide more open capabilities to businesses so they can easily adapt and engineer future technologies to them.
Because of this, and the internet connectivity becoming more common-place, future attention must be delivered to their back-end platforms to help provide authentication and encryption to many of these customized configurations.
CyberSec can help by providing a thorough, and detailed investigations report on both workstation and electronic-connecting equipment that uses a network, serial, USB, wireless, or modem communication technologies.
SCADA or ICS Vulnerability Challenges:
| Out-of-date technologies | Out-of-date OS Patching | Non-secure network connectivity |
| Non-secure interfaces | Virus protection weaknesses | Out-of-date applications |
| Lack of monitoring | War-dialing vulnerability | Software Overflow weaknesses |
| Massive Impact-related potential | Vendor cooperation | Remote take-over risk |
Vendor Quality Assessments
Partnership for Progress
When it comes to correcting these issues, SCADA penetration testing or ICS testing is only half the battle to correcting these risks. Working with your SCADA or ICS business partner requires their cooperation, as well.
Due to support service agreements you have with your legacy device providers, it is up to the vendors to incorporate patching and mitigation from our assessment findings report.
We will help work with you and the vendors to help put these mitigations on track.
SCADA and ICS: Cyberspace Threat and IoT
Cyberspace
With the information revolution and the internet changing the landscape of computer support, including the convenience of updating software and hardware over networks, the Cyberspace Threat is growing every day on older legacy platforms.
IoT Challenge
With tablets, smartphones, and even wearable electronic devices being engineered to work with SCADA and ICS, these “Internet Of Things” (IoT) must be reviewed for risk potential.
X10 Protocol
The X10 protocol provides commands to household or office appliances with X10 module interfaces. Unencrypted data is sent over electronic wires or radio signals thatcommand the configuration modules. Hacker threats to intercept those signals or interfere with them has been a growing challenge that has required creative design implementations from vendors.
We have an extensive knowledgebase in all types of interfaces including Cyberspace, IoT, and X10 toolsets.This ensures nothing is missed during our penetration examination. Focused scanning on these connectionreports impact rankings, so all your physical device threats are fully enumerated and identified.
Why hire SCADA or ICS security solution specialists?
Necessity Meets Expertise
These technologies in organizations, today, are lacking regulatory requirements to push vendors into resolving these issues anytime, soon. Without professional, technical assessments driving change, this problem will continue to exist and grow.
With industries and governments still catching up in putting in compliance frameworks, it’s important to work with subject matter experts like CyberSec. We have years of experience working with business partners, ensuring a safe and secure environment for your infrastructure back-end needs.
