CG1304-scada-cloud

Next Generation SCADA?

April 10, 2013
There are two ways SCADA can be deployed in the cloud. It can either be completely in the cloud, or only partially. Whichever method is used, there are security concerns that should be considered and addressed.
Picture courtesy of: Security Intelligence Blog

Kyle Wilhoit, Threat Researcher, blogs for Security Intelligence Blog. In his April 4, 2013, blog "SCADA In The Cloud- A Security Conundrum?" Wilhoit says that "SCADA" and "Cloud computing" are hot topics in the IT world. These two not only have many uptime benefits, but they can also reduce cost and cut down on system redundancy.

SCADA and IT devices are not very different, yet SCADA in the cloud poses cybersecurity issues that need to be considered prior to being installed.

"There are two ways SCADA can be deployed in the cloud," says Wilhoit. "It can either be completely in the cloud, or only partially. Whichever method is used, there are security concerns that should be considered and addressed."

Wilhoit's blog entry lists some security concerns to consider:

  • lack of authentication
  • lack of control
  • lack of encryption
  • nature of data
  • the logging conundrum
  • web application attacks

Learn more by reading the blog entry at Security Intelligence Blog or to download a copy of Wilhoit's white paper "SCADA in the Cloud- a Security Conundrum."

See Also: Change Is in the Wind for SCADA