Cyber Security Approaches for Industrial Control Networks

Critical infrastructure (CI) such as the electrical grid, transportation systems and water resource systems are controlled by Industrial Control and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) networks. During the last few years, cyber attackers have increasingly targeted such CI systems. This is of great concern because successful attacks have wide ranging impact and can cause widespread destruction and loss of life. As a result, there is a critical requirement to develop enhanced algorithms and tools to detect cyber threats for SCADA networks. Such tools have key differences with the tools utilized to detect cyber threats in regular IT networks. This paper discusses key factors which differentiate network security for SCADA networks versus regular IT networks. The paper also presents various approaches used for SCADA security and some of the advancements in the area.