Golden Rules ofsCAdA suCCess

Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition or SCADA systems monitor and control industrial, infrastructure, or facility-based processes. Because of its immeasurable benefits, many organizations now have their own SCADA systems in place.

Here are the 7 Golden Rules for a successful SCADA implementation and operations

There are two main things that should be taken into

consideration when purchasing a SCADA system: a) Which provider

to opt for: legacy providers, historical reputation and peer preference are all factors that

play a part in this; and b) Sector-specific needs: making sure that the system you choose is aligned

to the requirements of your organisation and sector is key.

Golden Rule #1:Choose youR

system wisely

Golden Rule #2:Get netwoRk

inteGRAtion RiGht

Golden Rule #3:PRePARe foR

enviRonmentAl hAzARd

Golden Rule #4:PlAn foR RePlACement

of obsolete units

Golden Rule #5:keeP seCuRity

thReAts At bAy

Golden Rule #6:Assess youR

vulneRAbility ReGulARly

Golden Rule #7:ensuRe

inteRoPeRAbility without sACRifiCinG

seCuRityMigrating from one system to another can often lead to

significant downtime as well as data loss, damaged data integrity and accurate data transfer. In oil & gas or petrochemical facility,

such losses could be detrimental to consumers or potentially catastrophic, so making sure that integration is carried out

efficiently and with contingency planning in play is vital.

If remote terminal units (RTUs) are based out in the open,

extreme conditions will eventually take their toll. Improving the

durability of SCADA equipment is paramount for regions

such as Asia with scorching temperatures during the day, cold nights and abrasive and inhospitable conditions. For

maximum performance, periodic maintenance should be carried out in-line with a 10 – 15 year

equipment lifespan.

Just like their biological cousins, computer viruses evolve as

quickly as their uploaders are diligent, and threat profiles

are updated with frightening constancy. Having regular and thorough auditing strategies is one way to make sure that security threats are always in

check and your SCADA systems are up to the task.

Given the myriad threats that exist out there, it is still

difficult to quantify exactly how vulnerable a SCADA system is to an attack. Assessments can be made to reduce the causes of vulnerability through threat

simulation, and the most classic of these methods is the use

of attack trees. An attack tree may be an extremely complex

analysis of thousands of different potential pathways from root

threat to attack completion, yet it would be impossible to cover

all the possible routes so running regular checks is absolutely

necessary.

Many SCADA systems use their own dedicated and proprietary communication protocols as opposed to shared and open systems. Within wide-ranging

networks, the interoperability of different systems is crucial to the smooth running of the framework

as a whole. The use of open systems represents the best

way to ensure that devices can communicate with each other on a “level playing field.” However, open protocols also come with

a greater risk of infiltration from rogue devices. Striking a

balance between interoperability and security must be a primary concern that all companies must deal with on an individual basis.

The obsolescence of integral parts of the SCADA framework is inevitable with the march of

time and quick-fire advancements in technology, so having a

replacement plan is a must to prevent loss of money and time.

This downtime can also be minimized by initially selecting

a SCADA package that improves usability, maximises flexibility and

provides for future expansion.

sCAdA Asia 2013 gathers top industry thought leaders and expert speakers from Power & Electricity, Water, Gas, Railways and Oil & Gas Sectors. To find out more, visit www.scadasummit.com To attend the conference, email enquiry@iqpc.com.sg or call +65 6722 9388.

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