7 golden rules of scada success [infographic]
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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.TRANSCRIPT
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 [email protected] or call +65 6722 9388.
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