scholarly journals Digital Forensic Analysis of Industrial Control Systems Using Sandboxing: A Case of WAMPAC Applications in the Power Systems

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2598
Author(s):  
Asif Iqbal ◽  
Farhan Mahmood ◽  
Mathias Ekstedt
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Forensic Analysis ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Power Grids ◽  
Cyber Attack ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Daubert Standard ◽  
And Control

In today’s connected world, there is a tendency of connectivity even in the sectors which conventionally have been not so connected in the past, such as power systems substations. Substations have seen considerable digitalization of the grid hence, providing much more available insights than before. This has all been possible due to connectivity, digitalization and automation of the power grids. Interestingly, this also means that anybody can access such critical infrastructures from a remote location and gone are the days of physical barriers. The power of connectivity and control makes it a much more challenging task to protect critical industrial control systems. This capability comes at a price, in this case, increasing the risk of potential cyber threats to substations. With all such potential risks, it is important that they can be traced back and attributed to any potential threats to their roots. It is extremely important for a forensic investigation to get credible evidence of any cyber-attack as required by the Daubert standard. Hence, to be able to identify and capture digital artifacts as a result of different attacks, in this paper, the authors have implemented and improvised a forensic testbed by implementing a sandboxing technique in the context of real time-hardware-in-the-loop setup. Newer experiments have been added by emulating the cyber-attacks on WAMPAC applications, and collecting and analyzing captured artifacts. Further, using sandboxing for the first time in such a setup has proven helpful.

Building a Cybersecurity Culture in the Industrial Control System Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Claudia ARAUJO MACEDO ◽  
Jos MENTING
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Cyber Attack ◽  
Industrial Control System ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Educational Processes

Cybersecurity in industrial control system environments has become a significant concern and is even more relevant in the context of critical infrastructures where control system disruption could have a profound impact on health, safety and the environment. This makes this type of system a major target for malicious activities. Notwithstanding an organization’s interest in protecting its industrial control systems against cyber-attacks, the implementation of security measures, whether technical, organizational or human, still faces resistance and is often seen as a constraint. Using the best technology to protect industrial control systems makes no sense if persons with access do not act attentively and protectively. Technical and human cybersecurity measures are intrinsically linked, and it is essential that all persons with access to these systems are fully aware of the inherent cyber risks. Organizations must also act so that staff receive appropriate training on how to keep systems continuously protected against cyber-attack when carrying out their daily tasks. These educational processes can contribute to building an effective cybersecurity culture fully reflective of management and staff attitudes, so that the availability, integrity and confidentiality of information in industrial control systems can be assured.

scholarly journals A review: towards practical attack taxonomy for industrial control systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.14) ◽  
pp. 145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qais Saif Qassim ◽  
Norziana Jamil ◽  
Razali Jidin ◽  
Mohd Ezanee Rusli ◽  
Md Nabil Ahmad Zawawi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Supervisory Control ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Critical Infrastructures ◽  
Cyber Attack ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Scada System ◽  
Water Transportation ◽  
Different Types

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is the underlying control system of most national critical infrastructures such as power, energy, water, transportation and telecommunication. In order to understand the potential threats to these infrastructures and the mechanisms to protect them, different types of cyber-attacks applicable to these infrastructures need to be identified. Therefore, there is a significant need to have a comprehensive understanding of various types of cyber-attacks and its classification associated with both Opera-tion Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT). This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing cyber-attack taxonomies available in the literature and evaluates these taxonomies based on defined criteria.  

Developing Training Research to Improve Cyber Defense of Industrial Control Systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1439-1443
Author(s):  
Matthew Canham ◽  
Stephen M. Fiore ◽  
Bruce D. Caulkins
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Private Information ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Automated Detection ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Training Research ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
And Control

Cyber-attacks are a common aspect of modern life. While cyber based attacks can expose private information or shut down online services, some of the most potentially dangerous attacks change the sensor and control data utilized by Industrial Control Systems for the intended purpose of causing severe damage to the technical processes that these systems control. The damage caused by the Stuxnet worm is one of the most infamous examples of this type of attack. Because only the most advanced levels of adversaries are able to mount successful attacks against these systems, detecting them is extremely challenging. Automated detection systems have not yet evolved to the point of being capable of consistently and successfully detecting these attacks, and for this reason, human operators will need to be involved in Industrial Control Systems protection for the foreseeable future. We propose several potential training-based solutions to aid the defense of these systems.

scholarly journals Implementation and Evaluation of Physical, Hybrid, and Virtual Testbeds for Cybersecurity Analysis of Industrial Control Systems

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 519
Author(s):  
Andres Robles-Durazno ◽  
Naghmeh Moradpoor ◽  
James McWhinnie ◽  
Gordon Russell ◽  
Jorge Porcel-Bustamante
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Attack Detection ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Cyber Attack ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Sensors And Actuators ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Industrial Control Systems

Industrial Control Systems are an essential part of our daily lives and can be found in industries such as oil, utilities, and manufacturing. Rapid growth in technology has introduced industrial components with network capabilities that allow them to communicate with traditional computer networks, thus increasing their exposure to cyber-attacks. Current research on Industrial Control Systems suffer from lack of technical information as these systems are part of critical infrastructures. To overcome this, researchers have employed different types of testbeds to develop their mechanisms of cyber-attack detection and prevention. This manuscript describes, implements, and evaluates physical, hybrid, and virtual application of a clean water supply system developed for cybersecurity research. The results show that physical testbeds allow an understanding of the behaviour and dynamics of control components like sensors and actuators, which might be affected by external influences such as noise, vibration, temperature, and non-ideal device behaviour. Although, hybrid testbeds reduce the cost of implementation, they ignore the physical dynamics of the system as explained above. Virtual testbeds are the cheapest option in comparison with physical and hybrid testbeds; however, they provide a limited view of the control system operation that could have negative consequences when developing a detection/prevention system.

Cybersecurity Leadership: Competencies, Governance, and Technologies for Industrial Control Systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (01) ◽  
pp. 1740001 ◽  
Author(s):  
JEAN-PIERRE AUFFRET ◽  
JANE L. SNOWDON ◽  
ANGELOS STAVROU ◽  
JEFFREY S. KATZ ◽  
DIANA KELLEY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Grid ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Leadership Competencies ◽  
Cyber Attacks ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Grid Systems ◽  
Private Organizations ◽  
Emerging Risk

The extensive integration of interconnected devices and the inadvertent information obtained from untrusted sources has exposed the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) ecosystem to remote attacks by the exploitation of new and old vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, although recognized as an emerging risk based on the recent rise of cyber attacks, cybersecurity for ICS has not been addressed adequately both in terms of technology but, most importantly, in terms of organizational leadership and policy. In this paper, we will present our findings regarding the cybersecurity challenges for Smart Grid and ICS and the need for changes in the way that organizations perceive cybersecurity risk and leverage resources to balance the needs for information security and operational security. Moreover, we present empirical data that point to cybersecurity governance and technology principles that can help public and private organizations to navigate successfully the technical cybersecurity challenges for ICS and Smart Grid systems. We believe that by identifying and mitigating the inherent risks in their systems, operations, and processes, enterprises will be in a better position to shield themselves and protect against current and future cyber threats.

Modeling techniques as applied to generating tool-independent automation projects

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Priego ◽  
Aintzane Armentia ◽  
Elisabet Estévez ◽  
Marga Marcos
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
Industrial Control ◽  
Industrial Control Systems ◽  
Software Complexity ◽  
Process Measurement ◽  
Programming Tool ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
And Control ◽  
Measurement And Control

AbstractThe Industrie 4.0 initiative emphasizes the consistent digitalization and linking of all productive units, including the definition of industrial control systems. This work proposes a model-based approach to develop Industrial Process Measurement and Control Systems. It uses modern software technologies but software complexity is wrapped using the notation, syntax and semantics of the field. It is UML modeling tool independent, due to the definition of domain profiles. It is also PLC programming tool independent, as the software architecture is generated following the PLCopen XML standard.

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