SCADA
Almost all critical industrial infrastructures and processes are managed remotely from central control rooms, using computers and communications networks. The flow of gas and oil through pipes, the processing and distribution of water, the management of the electricity grid, the operation of chemical plants, and the signalling network for railways. These all use various forms of process control and 'supervisory control and data acquisition' - SCADA technology.
Until recently the terms process control and SCADA was unknown outside its niche area in industry. Today it is one of the key issues for national infrastructure protection.
CPNI is helping the UK national infrastructure to understand and mitigate electronic attack risks to these systems and facilitates this effort through a focussed program of work. This includes:
* CPNI-funded vulnerability and protection research
* SCSIE, a confidential industry-CPNI forum that meets regularly to exchange information on SCADA threats, incidents and mitigation
* E-SCSIE, similar to the SCSIE but with a focus on European government and industry efforts to protect process control and SCADA systems
* a close working relationship to the security programs being developed in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
