Simulation of Industrial Control Systems: A Literature Review Report

This report provides a comprehensive literature review on the simulation of Industrial Control Systems (ICS). It explores the use of testbeds for virtualization and security research, addressing the increasing threats of cyber-attacks. The review covers various studies, including the analysis of cyber-physical production testbeds and their role in assessing system vulnerabilities. It highlights the importance of simulation in optimizing industrial processes and addresses knowledge gaps in ICS architecture, emphasizing the need for robust security measures to prevent cyber-attacks and ensure efficient production systems. The report emphasizes the critical role of ICT-based ICS in delivering real-time information and enabling intelligent control, advocating for simulation and virtualization using testbeds under optimal conditions. The report references several key studies, highlighting the importance of simulation and virtualization in the context of ICS security and optimization. The report also discusses the current vulnerabilities of ICS systems and the importance of addressing these vulnerabilities to prevent cyber-attacks.

Running head: SIMULATION OF INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS 1
Literature Review
Simulation of Industrial Control Systems Testbed
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Simulation of Industrial Control Systems Testbed
Introduction
Industrial Control Systems (ICSs) employ the use of Information and Communication
technologies to ensure stability in monitoring, controlling and automation of processes in
industrial operation (McLaughlin, 2017). ICSs has wide applications in generation, transmission
and distribution of electricity, medical systems, chemical production, oil and gas refining, water
treatment, robotics, aerospace and autonomous transportation.
According to (Green, 2018), various cyber-attacks have been advanced targeting the ICSs, hence
there is need to explore the security challenges facing the use of ICSs.
A number of research studies use virtual and simulation-based testbed technology in
optimization of industrial processes. Notably, results obtained from such virtual and ideal
environmental conditions produce perfect results which are actually unattainable in actual
production due to certain industrial dynamics.
Critical analysis of literature
In one of the research studies, (Luis, 2019) asserts that ICSs have been affected by heterogenous
cyber-attacks impacting on the physical world and safety of the people. A cyber-attack is
transmitted through a communications network affecting systems behavior with the intention of
causing harm while aa physical attack is aimed at physical components to disrupt functionality
of the system (Goh, 2017).
A study conducted by (Salunkhe, 2018) on cyber-physical production testbed describes that it
consists of semi-automatic production line which is fully equipped with tools for system
monitoring, analysis of data and commercial software. The cyber-physical production systems
are made up of sub-systems which are in turn composed of autonomous and cooperative

SIMULATION OF INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS 3
elements like robots and work stations interconnected together. It can be seen in the context of
smart machines warehousing systems or digitalized production facilities with end-to-end ICT-
based integration systems.
Testbeds have been used widely for cyber security research due to increasing threat levels
brought about by high usage of internet to operate critical infrastructural systems like smart
power grid and those highlighted in paragraph one of the introductory section. As a result,
simulations are done on such infrastructural systems to assess their vulnerability. For instance,
testbed at South Dakota State University is critical in studying the effects of cyber-attack on the
system voltage in power grids.
According to Karresand (2016), virtualization of testbed is critical since it enables running of
multiple parallel systems on single computer hardware, configuration of systems and network
using software scrips, saving and loading of the system-of-system, and also isolates the activity
in the testbed for both the physical and external systems.
Knowledge gaps in ICSs and how addressing them leads to better systems
Even though Industrial Control Systems work perfectly most of the time, they are still vulnerable
to hardware attacks like fault injection and backdoors introduced into the modules executing
software. The ICSs architecture and vulnerabilities can be understood in terms of hardware layer,
firmware layer, software layer and network layer. With the first growth and adoption of
technology including Artificial Intelligence, a gap still exists between the available technological
capabilities and what is demanded meeting requirements of security issues and optimization of
industrial processes.

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Addressing this knowledge gap would ensure that the ICSs are airtight and not susceptible to
cyber-attacks, resulting into efficient and optimal production systems.
Conclusion
ICT-based ICSs are capable of delivering real-time information, enabling automatic and
intelligent control of industrial processes. For the success of these ICS systems, there is need for
simulation and virtualization using testbeds, under optimal conditions.

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References
Goh, J., 2017. A Dataset to Support Research in the Design of Secure Water Treatment Systems.
pp. 88-99.
Green, B., 2018. Pains,GainsandPLCs: TenLessonsfromBuildinganIndustrialControl
SystemsTestbedforSecurityResearch, s.l.: s.n.
Karresand, M., 2016. Virtual Industrial Control System Testbed. s.l.:s.n.
Luis, Á., 2019. On the Generation of Anomaly Detection Datasets in Industrial Control Systems.
SPECIAL SECTION ON DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CYBER-
PHYSICAL SYSTEMS, 7(2019).
McLaughlin, S., 2017. The Industrial Control Systems Cyber Security Landscape. pp. 1-18.
Salunkhe, O., 2018. Cyber-Physical Production Testbed: Literature Review and Concept
Developmet. 25(2018), pp. 2-9.