What is SCADA and ICS security?
D3 · Architecture · CompTIA Security+ SY0-701ICS (Industrial Control Systems) manage industrial processes — power grids, water treatment, manufacturing. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is a type of ICS used to monitor and control geographically dispersed infrastructure.
ICS/SCADA security differs from IT security:
⚠️ Availability is paramount (downtime can be life-threatening)
⚠️ Systems often run legacy OS (Windows XP) with no patch support
⚠️ Traditional IT patches can disrupt operations
⚠️ Real-world physical consequences (Stuxnet destroyed centrifuges)
ICS/SCADA security differs from IT security:
⚠️ Availability is paramount (downtime can be life-threatening)
⚠️ Systems often run legacy OS (Windows XP) with no patch support
⚠️ Traditional IT patches can disrupt operations
⚠️ Real-world physical consequences (Stuxnet destroyed centrifuges)
In ICS/SCADA, the CIA triad priority flips: Availability > Integrity > Confidentiality (in IT: Confidentiality is typically first). Air gapping (no internet connection), network segmentation, and unidirectional gateways (data diodes) are key ICS security controls. Purdue Model is the reference architecture for ICS security.