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Cyber Security: Is Your System Safe?
Author(s) -
Hartson Marla K.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2009.tb02973.x
Subject(s) - computer security , scada , malware , exploit , control system security , security controls , security information and event management , computer science , control (management) , process (computing) , information security , software , industrial control system , security through obscurity , cloud computing security , cyber attack , security service , software security assurance , cloud computing , engineering , operating system , artificial intelligence , electrical engineering
This article discusses security for information technology systems, to keep a utility's plant control systems such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems safe from terrorists' attacks. The article discusses various viruses and malicious software (called “malware”) that infiltrate a computer system without the owner's consent or knowledge. Examples of malicious software that have infiltrated control stations are provided, along with a discussion of new personalized threats on corporate executives, “zero‐day exploits”, personally identifiable information, fail‐safe malware, and infection speed. The article discusses maintaining a water plant's security technologies, including security awareness training, and the Control Systems Cyber Security Self Assessment Tool (CS2SAT) that promotes communication between an Information Technology (IT) department and operators and technicians to assess the process control network's IT security. The tool is specifically relevant for water‐sector utilities.