- Many of today's industrial processes
depend upon computer systems to make
them work more efficiently and effectively.
The many advances in technology
that have sped up manufacturing, power plant monitoring,
waste water treatment and other industrial processes
require the use of computers.
Industrial control systems, or ICS systems, are the devices
and systems that control industrial production
and operation. They include systems that monitor electrical,
gas, water, and other utility infrastructure and production
operations. As well as the the systems that control sewage
processing and control, irrigation, and other processes.
Hackers love to target industrial control systems
for a number of reasons. First, a successful attack
on an ICS system can have dramatic implications.
Successful ICS attacks could disable a nation's power grid,
or damage or destroy parts of a city's infrastructure.
Second, ICS systems are often not as well secured
as traditional computing infrastructure.
And third, their high requirements for stability
and continuous operations means that they are less likely
to be consistently patched and updated.
In fact, some ICS systems manufacturers advise
their customers to not update the control systems
and sensor devices. This makes protecting SCADA and DCS
systems an even greater challenge,
requiring additional planning to overcome.
Let's discuss three different types
of industrial control systems.
Supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA systems,
distributed control systems, abbreviated DCS
and programmable logic controllers,
known more simply as PLCs.
SCADA systems, like the one shown here,
are very common in industries that require
remote monitoring of their infrastructure
and production systems, like national gas pipelines,
power production and distribution infrastructure
and water supply control systems.
SCADA systems typically include individual
remote sensors known as remote telemetry units
which provide reports back to the central data collection
system and provides some level of local control.
The central system then uses the information provided
by the remote units to control the entire grid or pipeline
of production and control systems.
Attacks against SCADA systems can target the feedback
provided to the central control system. Or, it can cause
the local sensor control unit
to preform an incorrect action.
Distributor control systems, such as the one shown here,
are frequently used to control water, and waste water
treatment and distribution systems, power generation plants,
refineries and production lines, and facilities
like those that make cars, electronics
and even food products throughout the world.
DCS systems use a combination of sensors
and feedback systems to control and adjust processes
as they receive feedback.
Much like SCADA systems, an attack against a DCS system,
could be as simple as providing incorrect feedback
resulting in a shutdown, overproduction, or delay
in the system at a critical time.
Programmable logic controllers, like the one shown here,
are special purpose computers designed to handle specialized
input and output systems. They are typically designed
to handle difficult environments with special temperature,
vibration, or other requirements while still functioning.
PLCs are designed to handle and respond
to their specialized input and output requirements reliably
to ensure the processes they support
occur without interruption or delay.
PLCs connect to a human machine interface, or HMI,
to provide interfaces that can interact
with human operators.
Typical PLCs don't have a monitor or other interface beyond
buttons or lights built into them.
PLCs are commonly used in both SCADA and DCS systems.
The results of a SCADA system attack can be devastating.
In 2000, a hacker irritated because he was refused a job
in an Australian municipality, used his knowledge
about their water treatment software and systems
to release millions of liters of raw sewage into local
parks, rivers, and covering the grounds of a local hotel.
The Australian EPA said that marine life died,
the creek water turned black, and the stench
was unbearable for residents.
This attacker used inside knowledge
because he had previously worked for the company
that installed the system. When the police arrested him,
they discovered that he had made 46 attempts to hack
into the system, and that his car contained the radio,
and computer equipment necessary to wage this attack.