Cybersecurity Report: SCADA Systems Security, Threats, and Solutions

This report focuses on the security of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, highlighting the vulnerabilities and potential threats these systems face. The report discusses the importance of securing SCADA networks, especially against cyber-attacks, and emphasizes the need for robust security measures to protect sensitive information and prevent data breaches. It explores various security measures, including firewalls, unidirectional gateways, and application whitelisting, to create a defensive security structure. The report concludes by stressing the importance of implementing physical security measures along with cybersecurity strategies to safeguard SCADA systems and protect the personal information of government employees. The report also references academic sources to support its findings and recommendations.

Emerging Threats
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Introduction
SCADA is a security practise for protecting “supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA)” over the network. The countries such as China and several foreign nations
discovering the vulnerabilities in the system, exploiting by stealing the personal information
of the government employees and deploying those information in negative ways. To prevent
the cyber-attacks and provide security to the SCADA system it would be required to
implement some commonality and diversity that finally stops other countries from stealing
sensitive information from the government employees.
Discussion
The government of united state uses SCADA to store the information of their
government employee. It is a framework which control the system used in various industrial
operations. SCADA is considered as the most common industrial control system-(ICS).
However, the cyber attacker’s attempts cyber-attack against the system. Today, the system is
vulnerable to emerging threats (Bianco, 2016). These threats may have an effects on the
community as well as the economy.
Security for the SCADA network
Today, it is required to manage SCADA network system security to stop the cyber-
attacks from other countries over the system. Every part of the software, firmware,
applications and hardware needs to be mapped properly so anyone who has an access over
system should be documented (Gouglidis & Hutchison, 2017). Identifying each possible
access point for hacks and malware attack, monitoring and detecting vulnerable attack to the

system. It is essential to bring the physical security into the network along with all cyber
security measure. Firewalls, unidirectional gateways and application whitelisting are the few
security measures which can be used form a defensive security structure for SCADA
(Fillatre, Nikiforov & Willett, 2017).

Conclusion
From the above report, it is concluded that the various physical security measures required to
be implemented which will help to protect the SCADA system network in order to protect
personal information of the government employees from data breaches.

References
Bianco, L. J. (2016). The inherent weaknesses in industrial control systems devices; hacking
and defending SCADA systems (Doctoral dissertation, Utica College).
Gouglidis, A., & Hutchison, D. (2017). Protection against Cyber Attacks: Introducing
Resilience for SCADA Networks.
Fillatre, L., Nikiforov, I., & Willett, P. (2017). Security of SCADA systems against cyber–
physical attacks. IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, 32(5), 28-45.