SCADA Security

SCADA is the acronym for Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition. It refers to an industrial control system where a computer monitors and controls a process. This process can be industrial, which includes manufacturing and power generating. It can also be infrastructure processes, such as water treatment and distribution.

The SCADA System

The SCADA system consists of a number of subsystems that include a human-machine interface, remote terminal unit and programmable logic controller. The human-machine interface (HMI) is the device that presents the data of the process to an operator who can then monitor and control the process. The remote terminal unit connects to the sensors used in the process and converts the sensor signals into digital data. Meanwhile, the programmable logic controller is used as a field device due to the fact that it is more economical, flexible, and versatile than a special-purpose remote terminal unit.