30 April 2009
Industrial control networks, generally referred to as SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems have been used for decades in power plants and distribution grids, oil and gas refineries, air traffic and railroad management, pipeline pumping stations, pharmaceutical plants, chemical plants, industrial processes, automotive assembly lines, automated food and beverage lines, water treatment plants and major dams. These older legacy systems remain highly vulnerable to intelligent remote attacks, as well as non-intelligent viruses, as these systems are no longer isolated from the Internet. They are accessible via company websites, wireless access points, USB drives, modems, radio transmission, satellite, microwave, wiretap and remote maintenance access. The report identifies incidents involving major corporations, utilities, nuclear plants and the Pentagon. "The current situation is ripe for an epidemic," says Dirk Seewald, CEO of Innominate Security Technologies, "Protecting critical infrastructure is itself critical."
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