SECURITY CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

Industrial Control Systems are computerized systems used to control and monitor industrial processes and infrastructure e.g., in water treatment and manufacturing. These Industrial Control Systems are responsible for managing tasks such as safety systems, data acquisition, supervisory and process control.

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) although face several security challenges including the following;

1. Lack of patching: patching can be very challenging due to concerns about disrupting critical operations which lead to delays in implementing security updates leaving systems exposed to vulnerabilities.

2. Complexity: ICS environment has several interconnected components and protocols makes it challenging to effectively monitor and secure entire system.

3. Security: attackers could illegally access the hardware which could cause threat to the ICS.

4. Remote access: if ICS components are not properly secured it introduces vulnerabilities if not well secured. This allows attackers to potentially compromise critical infrastructure anywhere in the world.

5. Supply chain risks: complex supply chains can introduce vulnerabilities if any of the suppliers have weak security practices.

6. Interconnectivity: as ICS environments become interconnected with corporate networks and the internet, they are exposed to a wider range of potential attacks.

7. Legacy systems: many ICS components were developed before cybersecurity became a primary concern hence vulnerable to modern threats.

8. Insider threats: malicious insiders e.g., untrusted employees can pose significant threat to the ICS environments.