March 2012

SCADA Security: Justifying the Investment

In my blog article Industrial Data Compromise – The New Business Risk I recommended that End Users and Control Engineers need to redouble their efforts in relation to securing their process.

Air Gaps won’t Stop Stuxnet’s Children

As someone working in the field of industrial cyber security I never thought I would see the day when a cyber attack would be the topic of a prime time television show.

Defense in Depth: Layering Multiple Defenses - Part 2 of 2

In my earlier column on the philosophy of Defense in Depth, I discussed how relying on a single defensive solution exposes a system to a single point of failure. No matter how well designed or strong that single defense is, either resourceful adversaries or Murphy’s Law eventually results in the defense malfunctioning or being bypassed. When that happens, the entire system is wide open to attack.

SCADA Security & Deep Packet Inspection – Part 1 of 2

I have talked repeatedly about something called Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and why it is so important for SCADA / ICS security (for example, see Air Gaps Won’t Stop Stuxnet’s Children). The trouble is, I have never described what DPI actually is. So in today’s blog I will back up and explain what DPI firewall technology is all about.