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SCADA Systems: Overview and Security

SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and refers to industrial control systems that monitor and control processes. A SCADA system includes hardware, controllers, networks, user interfaces, communications equipment, and software to centrally monitor data from sensors that may be near or far. It facilitates real-time monitoring through regular data acquisition from sensors. The human-machine interface (HMI) presents process data visually, such as through mimic diagrams, and allows humans to control processes. SCADA systems are used to monitor critical infrastructure like power grids, pipelines, and traffic systems, so their security is important.

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111 views2 pages

SCADA Systems: Overview and Security

SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition and refers to industrial control systems that monitor and control processes. A SCADA system includes hardware, controllers, networks, user interfaces, communications equipment, and software to centrally monitor data from sensors that may be near or far. It facilitates real-time monitoring through regular data acquisition from sensors. The human-machine interface (HMI) presents process data visually, such as through mimic diagrams, and allows humans to control processes. SCADA systems are used to monitor critical infrastructure like power grids, pipelines, and traffic systems, so their security is important.

Uploaded by

Saad Ahmed
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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February 24, 2011 [SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA AQUISITION]

SAAD AHMED

ME-889 SEM V- ME

SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. It generally refers to industrial control systems:
computer systems that monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes.
There are many parts of a working SCADA system. A SCADA system usually includes signal hardware (input and
output), controllers, networks, user interface (HMI), communications equipment and software. All together, the
term SCADA refers to the entire central system. The central system usually monitors data from various sensors
that are either in close proximity or off site (sometimes miles away).

One of key processes of SCADA is the ability to monitor an entire system in real time. This is facilitated by data
acquisitions including meter reading, checking statuses of sensors, etc that are communicated at regular intervals
depending on the system. Besides the data being used by the RTU, it is also displayed to a human that is able to
interface with the system to override settings or make changes when necessary

 HUMAN INTERFACE MACHINE or HMI is the apparatus which presents process data to a human operator,
and through which the human operator controls the process.

An HMI is usually linked to the SCADA system's databases and software programs, to provide trending, diagnostic
data, and management information such as scheduled maintenance procedures, logistic information, detailed
schematics for a particular sensor or machine, and expert-system troubleshooting guides. The HMI system usually
presents the information to the operating personnel graphically, in the form of a mimic diagram. This means that
the operator can see a schematic representation of the plant being controlled. For example, a picture of a pump
connected to a pipe can show the operator that the pump is running and how much fluid it is pumping through the
pipe at the moment. The operator can then switch the pump off. The HMI software will show the flow rate of the
fluid in the pipe decrease in real time. Mimic diagrams may consist of line graphics and schematic symbols to
represent process elements, or may consist of digital photographs of the process equipment overlain with
animated symbols.

SCADA systems are used to control and monitor physical processes, examples of which are transmission of
electricity, transportation of gas and oil in pipelines, water distribution, traffic lights, and other systems used as
the basis of modern society. The security of these SCADA systems is important because compromise or
destruction of these systems would impact multiple areas of society far removed from the original compromise.
For example, a blackout caused by a compromised electrical SCADA system would cause financial losses to all the
customers that received electricity from that source. How security will affect legacy SCADA and new deployments
remains to be seen. SCADA systems are an extremely advantageous way to run and monitor processes. They are
great for small applications such as climate control or can be effectively used in large applications such as
monitoring and controlling a nuclear power plant or mass transit system.

Many vendors of SCADA and control products have begun to address these risks in a basic sense by developing
lines of specialized industrial firewall and VPN solutions for TCP/IP-based SCADA networks as well as external
SCADA monitoring and recording equipment. Additionally, application white listing solutions are being
implemented because of their ability to prevent malware and unauthorized application changes without the
performance impacts of traditional antivirus scans.
February 24, 2011 [SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA AQUISITION]

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