Pandora’s Net

This study analyses potential weaknesses of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and possible workarounds to safeguard the critical infrastructure. SCADA systems are the hardware and software that control and monitor infrastructure and industrial processes. In the world of energy, the industrial control systems monitoring the physical processes of machines are less tangible than the actual physical machines they control. One of the benefits of soft power is that it offers the ability to use coercive force and create confusion without using overt means. Disconnecting any unnecessary network connections and restricting personnel access to only essential programs will limit unwanted access to SCADA systems through backdoor networks. It has been recommended that the energy sector ought to implement back-up and defense-in-depth systems. The concept of a common computer language for SCADA has also been mentioned in the security community, but could come with challenges.