Towards a Layered Architectural View for Security Analysis in SCADA Systems

TL;DR

This paper proposes a layered architectural framework for SCADA systems to facilitate security analysis, addressing the complexity and scale challenges to improve understanding among stakeholders.

Contribution

It introduces a four-layer architectural model with viewpoints to support security analysis in complex SCADA systems, enhancing clarity and stakeholder communication.

Findings

Layered architectural view aids security analysis in SCADA systems

Viewpoints help focus on relevant system subsets

Approach applicable to real-world SCADA security contexts

Abstract

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems support and control the operation of many critical infrastructures that our society depend on, such as power grids. Since SCADA systems become a target for cyber attacks and the potential impact of a successful attack could lead to disastrous consequences in the physical world, ensuring the security of these systems is of vital importance. A fundamental prerequisite to securing a SCADA system is a clear understanding and a consistent view of its architecture. However, because of the complexity and scale of SCADA systems, this is challenging to acquire. In this paper, we propose a layered architectural view for SCADA systems, which aims at building a common ground among stakeholders and supporting the implementation of security analysis. In order to manage the complexity and scale, we define four interrelated architectural layers, and uses the concept of viewpoints to focus on a subset of the system. We indicate the applicability of our approach in the context of SCADA system security analysis.