SCADA Systems
I recently heard a keynote speaker discuss SCADA systems. SCADA stands for
Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. These systems are used to perform data collection and control at a supervisors level. Many different aspects of today's society are controlled by SCADA systems or will be control by SCADA systems. These include traffic lights, electronic gates, sewage treatment, power generation and other important aspects of society.
Now, I haven't heard much before in the past about them, but through the presentation I saw that they use of them can be used to cause some problems if these systems are hacked. In general these SCADA hacks are not too widely publicized, but they occur. In many cases, a SCADA system is an old computer system that has been around for years, that now has a new internet connection added to it, without the use of security. For instance, check out this commercial, that was shown to us during the presentation:
Sounds like a simple commercial gimmick to entice people through the fear of getting hacked to hire them right? Well, stuff like this happens in real life. As soon as I got back from the presentation and went on Slashdot, I stumbled across this article in The Register where a 14 year old boy in Poland modified a TV remote control and created a device that took control of the local tram systems derailing 4 vehicles in the process. As I said before, the people who build this stuff think the system will remain blackbox and no one will interfere with it. Even the article says that:
Transport command and control systems are commonly designed by engineers with little exposure or knowledge about security using commodity electronics and a little native wit. The apparent ease with which Lodz's tram network was hacked, even by these low standards, is still a bit of an eye opener.
Thankfully, no one was killed during this. But others in the future might not be so lucky. For instance, did you know that the latest models of the Boeing jets are equipped with WiFi that is on the same system as the jets navigational system; and the only thing that is separating them is a Firewall? Or that a manager of a NJ Lexus dealer arrived one day at 7am to find all the cars in the lot running?
Just a lovely thought to show about how insecure some systems may be. Build security into the initial design to help prevent this stuff and many of these problems will go away.
Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. These systems are used to perform data collection and control at a supervisors level. Many different aspects of today's society are controlled by SCADA systems or will be control by SCADA systems. These include traffic lights, electronic gates, sewage treatment, power generation and other important aspects of society.
Now, I haven't heard much before in the past about them, but through the presentation I saw that they use of them can be used to cause some problems if these systems are hacked. In general these SCADA hacks are not too widely publicized, but they occur. In many cases, a SCADA system is an old computer system that has been around for years, that now has a new internet connection added to it, without the use of security. For instance, check out this commercial, that was shown to us during the presentation:
Click to viewSounds like a simple commercial gimmick to entice people through the fear of getting hacked to hire them right? Well, stuff like this happens in real life. As soon as I got back from the presentation and went on Slashdot, I stumbled across this article in The Register where a 14 year old boy in Poland modified a TV remote control and created a device that took control of the local tram systems derailing 4 vehicles in the process. As I said before, the people who build this stuff think the system will remain blackbox and no one will interfere with it. Even the article says that:
Transport command and control systems are commonly designed by engineers with little exposure or knowledge about security using commodity electronics and a little native wit. The apparent ease with which Lodz's tram network was hacked, even by these low standards, is still a bit of an eye opener.
Thankfully, no one was killed during this. But others in the future might not be so lucky. For instance, did you know that the latest models of the Boeing jets are equipped with WiFi that is on the same system as the jets navigational system; and the only thing that is separating them is a Firewall? Or that a manager of a NJ Lexus dealer arrived one day at 7am to find all the cars in the lot running?
Just a lovely thought to show about how insecure some systems may be. Build security into the initial design to help prevent this stuff and many of these problems will go away.