A SCADA intermediate simulation platform to enhance the system security

Abstract

SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems are increasing rapidly in the terms of uses and deployments in real time industrial processing, approximately all over the world. To fulfill, the underlying advanced acquirements of industrial process; the SCADA systems are gaining and deploying more advance features for infrastructural developments, from arena of information technology (IT). Now days, the SCADA systems are also connected with several open networks and allow the transmission of data (bytes) geographically, within local area networks (LANs)/wide area networks (WANs) over internet using transport control protocol (TCP)/internet protocol (IP) and others. With the increasing of SCADA system connectivity with number of open networks or/and protocols, several organizations included dnp.org, trianglemicroworks, Inc, NS network solutions, ASE-systems, modbus.org, fieldbus.org and others, have been deploying the security mechanisms to the communication of SCADA systems as part of industrial control systems (ICSs). In proposed study, based on existing security analysis of SCADA systems, the security implementation via cryptography mechanism has been placed between SCADA nodes during transmission of bytes. The secure cryptography intermediate node (SCIN) has been situated between SCADA communication nodes during transmission. Each time communication has been occurred between participated nodes, bytes are passed through SCIN which provides two-way communication link or channel against attacks.