Word of the Day: industrial control system (ICS)

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |August 22, 2017

industrial control system (ICS) Industrial control system (ICS) is a general term used to describe the integration of hardware and software with network connectivity in order to support critical infrastructure.   ICS technologies include, but are not limited to, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control systems (DCS), industrial automation and control systems (IACS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), programmable automation controllers (PACs), remote terminal units (RTUs), control servers, intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and sensors. Historically, most machines used in manufacturing and the operation of power plants, water and wastewater plants and other critical infrastructures was dumb, and those that were computerized typically used proprietary protocols. The networks they belonged to were air-gapped and protected from the outside world. This has changed over the years and components of today's ICSs are often connected directly or indirectly to the internet. Advances in smart sensor technology and wireless networking have made the blending of operational technology (OT) with information technology (IT) desirable and cost-effective. Despite the benefits of increased speed, better responsiveness to conditions and improved reliability that IT/OT convergence had brought, however, there are drawbacks in terms of security. Targeted attacks against ICSs by terrorists pose a threat to most nations around the world. As remote telemetry units used to input change become more capable of local control and as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT continue to grow, it becomes increasingly important for strategies to protect ICSs from security threats be top of mind. In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has offered these recommends for protecting industrial control systems:   Use application whitelisting to protect infrastructure from potentially harmful programming. Implement configuration management and patch management controls to keep control systems secure. Reduce attack surface areas by segmenting networks into logical parts and restricting host-to-host communications paths. Require multi-factor authentication and enforce the principle of least privilege (POLP). Require remote access to be operator controlled and time limited. Monitor traffic within the control network and on ICS perimeters. Analyze access logs and verify all anomalies. Ensure the restore includes golden records so systems can be rolled back to last known good state. Quote of the Day "Today, it is commonplace to find engineering workstations and servers on the ICS networks using Windows operating systems. These systems are susceptible to WannaCry and other attacks on the Wintel operating systems." - Ernie Hayden   Trending Terms SCADA ICS security operational technology programmed logic controller IT/OT convergence targeted attack air gapping   Learning Center How does CrashOverride malware threaten industrial control systems? CrashOverride malware shut down parts of Ukraine's power grid, and it could threaten other industrial control systems. Here's what to do about it. Industroyer malware a turning point for ICS security Security researchers at Black Hat 2017 tackle the Industroyer malware and the threats to energy grids and ICS security. How WannaCry malware affects enterprises' ICS networks WannaCry malware can be a problem for enterprises' ICS networks. Here's a look at why, and what can be done to protect ICS from the ransomware. A look at the development of an ICS security framework The ICS security framework development was influenced by other cybersecurity frameworks. Expert Ernie Hayden gives an inside look to the industrial control systems process. Industrial control systems a growing target for cyber attack Attackers with increasing capabilities have strong financial motivation to go after critical infrastructure and manufacturing firms, says security industry expert. Quiz Yourself This category of hardware and software monitors and controls how physical devices perform. a. operational technology (OT) b. information technology (IT) Answer       Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.