The Second Coming of the Maginot Line.

ISA Fellow and cybersecurity expert Joe Weiss of Applied Control Systems, LLC gave a one hour presentation on control system cyber security for the Purdue University Summer Seminar Series recently. This was entitled Cyber Security of Control Systems: The Second Coming of the Maginot Line.

Joe Weiss

Critical infrastructures such as electric power, oil/gas, water/wastewater,pipelines, transportation, and manufacturing utilize process control and safety systems to monitor, control, and assure safe operating conditions. Control systems consist of Internet protocol (IP) networks and HMIs to provide operator input and big data analytics. These systems have been designed with cybersecurity and authentication. However, what makes control systems unique are the control system devices such process sensors, actuators, drives, power supplies,etc. that have no cyber security or authentication and are a direct threat to personnel and equipment safety. Control system cyber security impacts are real.

There have been more than 1,250 actual control system cyber incidents with morethan 1,500 deaths and more than $70Billion in direct damage. There is a need to get the computer scientists/network engineers that understand networks and thedomain engineers that understand the physical processes to work together orthere is no hope in securing the critical infrastructures.

There were 119 participants from 16 countries throughout the world.

There were several questions questions raised which were not dealt with on the webinar. These questions and responses are now available here online.

@cerias @ControlGlobal #PAuto #Cybersecurity