An assessment of the application of IT security mechanisms to industrial control systems

Abstract

Industrial control systems (ICS) are increasingly becoming the target of cyber attacks. In order to counter this threat, organisations are turning to traditional IT security mechanisms to protect their operations. However, ICS includes a range of technologies which are often unfamiliar to contemporary IT security professionals or the tools they deploy. This paper explores the applicability of these tools within an ICS and critically analyses contemporary ICS architectures. The contribution of this paper is a clear identification of the areas of ICS to which IT security mechanisms can be applied and the challenges that are faced in the others. The paper continues to explore what mechanisms may be considered in these non-traditional areas of technology.