Practical SCADA Security

Control System Security Threats, Security / Reliability Incidents, Useful Industrial Cyber Security Tips

submitted by: Heather MacKenzie
on: Tue, 2013-07-30 08:24

Recently there was a thread on SCADASEC news, a restricted access critical infrastructure mailing list, about the challenges of firewalling BACnet networks. If you only work in the industrial automation space, you may not have heard of this protocol, but it is big in building automation. Regardless, the discussion around BACnet applies to many industrial protocols.

submitted by: Heather MacKenzie
on: Thu, 2013-06-27 13:52

One of the industries major oil and gas trade shows, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) was held last month. Belden and Tofino Security had a very busy booth there, as both safety and security were hot topics with attendees. It is good to see that security is finally making the list of corporate priorities.

Now when engineers look at security, a topic they should know about is Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and why offshore networks need to use it if they want to be secure.

submitted by: Heather MacKenzie
on: Tue, 2013-06-04 09:05

Improving the cyber security of industrial networks is a challenge you may be facing.

On the one hand your manufacturing processes probably use devices such as PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and DCS (distributed control systems) that were designed with a focus on reliability and safety rather than security. On the other hand your industrial networks are already, or soon will be, connected to your company’s enterprise networks and migrated to Ethernet.

submitted by: Eric Byres
on: Fri, 2013-05-03 16:38

Our last blog, contributed by Thomas Nuth, highlighted the fact that industrial cyber security is now being discussed by heads of state within the international community - the Executive Order – Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity signed by President Obama in February of this year being just one indication of the importance being attached to th

submitted by: thomas.nuth
on: Thu, 2013-04-18 21:00

Three years ago, the concept of industrial cyber security became a popular discussion topic within the industrial networking community. Now the discussion has risen to the level of heads of state within the international community. The Executive Order – Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity signed by President Obama in February of this year is just one indication of the importance being attached to this issue.