SCADA security: a review and enhancement for DNP3 based systems

Abstract

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are large-scale industrial control systems often spread across geographically dispersed locations that let human operators control entire physical systems, from a single control room. Early multi-site SCADA systems used closed networks and propriety industrial communication protocols like Modbus, DNP3 etc to reach remote sites. But with time it has become more convenient and more cost-effective to connect them to the Internet. However, internet connections to SCADA systems build in new vulnerabilities, as SCADA systems were not designed with internet security in mind. This can become matter of national security if these systems are power plants, water treatment facilities, or other pieces of critical infrastructure. Compared to IT systems, SCADA systems have a higher requirement concerning reliability, latency and uptime, so it is not always feasible to apply IT security measures deployed in IT systems. This paper provides an overview of security issues and threats in SCADA networks. Next, attention is focused on security assessment of the SCADA. This is followed by an overview of relevant SCADA security solutions. Finally we propose our security solution approach which is embedded in bump-in-the-wire is discussed.