Definitions[]
An industrial control system (ICS)
| “ | assist[s] in the management of equipment found in critical infrastructure facilities. ICSs include supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), distributed control systems (DCS), and programmable logic controllers (PLC). | ” |
| “ | [is] [a]n information system used to control industrial processes such as manufacturing, product handling, production, and distribution. Industrial control systems include supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems used to control geographically dispersed assets, as well as distributed control systems (DCSs) and smaller control systems using programmable logic controllers to control localized processes.[1] | ” |
| “ | [is] computer-based facilities, systems, and equipment used to remotely monitor and/or control critical process and physical functions. These systems collect data from the field, process and display this information, and then, in some systems, relay control commands to local or remote equipment.[2] | ” |
| “ | [is] a general term that encompasses several types of control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and other control system configurations such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) often found in the industrial sectors and critical infrastructures.[3] | ” |
Industrial control systems (ICS) are
| “ | automated systems used to control industrial processes such as manufacturing, product handling, production, and distribution.[4] | ” |
| “ | systems that include supervisory control and data acquisition, process control, and distributed control that manage and monitor the Nation's critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR).[5] | ” |
Overview[]
Industrial control system (ICS) is a general term that encompasses several types of control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and other smaller control system configurations. ICS are critical to the operation of the U.S. critical infrastructures that are often highly interconnected and mutually dependent systems.
Many of today's ICS evolved from the insertion of IT capabilities into existing physical systems, often replacing or supplementing physical control mechanisms. For example, embedded digital controls replaced analog mechanical controls in rotating machines and engines. Improvements in cost-performance have encouraged this evolution; resulting in many of today's "smart" technologies such as smart transportation, smart buildings, and smart manufacturing. While this increases the connectivity and criticality of these systems, it also creates a greater need for their adaptability, resiliency, safety, and security. The introduction of IT capabilities to promote corporate connectivity and remote access into physical systems presents emergent behavior that has security implications.
ICS now use many standard IT protocols, such as TCP/IP networking, HTTP, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Extensible Markup Language (XML).
References[]
- ↑ NIST Special Publication 800-53, App. B, Glossary.
- ↑ Roadmap to Secure Control Systems in the Water Sector, at 11.
- ↑ NIST Special Publication 800-82, Revision 2.
- ↑ Maritime Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Needs to Better Address Port Cybersecurity, at 4 n.7.
- ↑ DHS Can Make Improvements to Secure Industrial Control Systems, at 2.
Source[]
- "Overview" section: NISTIR 8074, at 57.
See also[]
External resource[]
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Guide to Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security (Sept. 2008) (full-text).