A Comprehensive Analysis of Methodologies for Threat Assessment of Industrial Automation Systems in Cyber-Security

Karan Chawla

Abstract: Industrial automation systems come in a variety of forms, including fixed (hard) automation, programmable automation, flexible (soft) automation, Totally Integrated Automation (TIA). The majority of PLCs have historically been hijacked or compromised by outsiders with malicious intentions, but in extremely rare instances, hackers have altered the PLC's source code to gain additional access to the OT network and access to the workers' workstations and the data connected to them. One notable instance is the 2020 cyberattack on Israel's water system, which allowed hackers to overwhelm the system with chlorine. This review paper will analyze the attack vectors such as the deeper access to the OT network in PLCs, SCADA systems and DLCs (Distributed Control System). The vital infrastructures of the country, including industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), are becoming more exposed to internal and foreign threats. The timing is right for these systems to implement security best practices. Furthermore, the importance of these systems' risk assessment cannot simply be dismissed as unimportant. For DCS, cybersecurity is a developing worry and is seen as the most important issue. A security breach might have disastrous consequences, including financial loss, information loss, and bodily damages by disrupting system operations. DCS enters the domain of CPS once the internet is introduced in order to gain remote access, efficiency, and ubiquity. The DCS is susceptible to risks that are not being adequately addressed by current risk mitigation and cybersecurity measures, necessitating a novel approach to cybersecurity. This Review paper analyzes cybersecurity related threats to the three most important components of Industrial Automation namely, PLCs, SCADA and OT networks.

Keywords: SCADA, OT Networks, Programmable Logic Controllers, Distributed Control System