What is SCADA and why is it a security problem?
SCADA is the software that lets operators watch and control pipelines, power grids and water plants from a control room. Much of it was designed before anyone expected it to touch the internet.
SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. Sensors and controllers in the field measure pressure, flow, voltage and temperature. They report to a central system where operators see the whole network on screens and can open a valve or trip a breaker hundreds of kilometres away.
These systems were built to be reliable for decades on closed networks. Security was a locked door. As companies connected them to office networks and remote maintenance tools, they became reachable by attackers, and many of the underlying protocols have no authentication at all.
The risk is physical. In December 2015, attackers used the control systems of three Ukrainian distribution companies to switch off substations, cutting power to about 225,000 customers. Since then, tenders for grid and pipeline upgrades routinely include a cybersecurity scope alongside the hardware.
- Stands for
- Supervisory control and data acquisition
- Ukraine, 2015
- About 225,000 customers lost power in the first confirmed grid cyberattack
Explainers describe how things generally work. They are not advice for a specific project or country. See our editorial policy.