Chapter 17 - Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Process Control and SCADA

Abstract

Critical infrastructure allows for all of the modern-day conveniences. The health of the nation depends on the infrastructure that provides electricity, moves and controls water, provides gas and oil, and ensures the operation of our transportation and communication networks. Process control systems monitor and control critical infrastructures as well as a number of other applications, such as automotive manufacturing plants and hospitals. This chapter explores how process control systems work, with an emphasis on the systems used by the oil and gas industry. These systems are commonly referred to as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. Most of the time when people are talking about process control systems they mention SCADA, although SCADA is a subset of the larger process control system. This chapter begins by examining process control and SCADA systems, followed by the reasons convergence is necessary, and the challenges and threats that face the organizations responsible for protecting the nation's critical infrastructure. It makes apparent the benefits of a converged monitoring and detection solution providing a single pane of glass into both physical and logical threats.