Industrial Systems Cybersecurity

This provides a quick intro to many of the terms and names used in industrial systems, focusing on the ones used in cybersecurity of the systems.
• PLC (Programmable Logic Controller): A ruggedized computer used for industrial automation. These can control a wide variety of machinery, from factory assembly lines to HVAC systems.
• SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): A system used to monitor and control a plant or equipment at remote locations. It collects real-time data to control equipment and conditions.
• DCS (Distributed Control System): A control system where controller elements are not central in location but are distributed throughout the system with each component sub-system controlled by one or more controllers.
• HMI (Human-Machine Interface): The user interface in a device, an application, or a machine which enables human operators to interact with the system.
• RTU (Remote Terminal Unit): A microprocessor-controlled device that connects objects in the physical world to a control system or SCADA system by transmitting telemetry data to a master system, and by using messages from the master supervisory system to control connected objects.
• ICS Cybersecurity: The area of protecting industrial control systems from intentional or unintentional interference.
• Fieldbus: A network system for real-time distributed control. Common protocols include MODBUS, PROFIBUS, and CANbus.
• Safety Instrumented System (SIS): A system designed to monitor and take automatic corrective actions in industries such as refining, chemical, petrochemical, and power generation.
• Modbus: Open serial communications protocol commonly used in PLCs.
• OPC (OLE for Process Control): A set of standards that provide specifications for communicating real-time plant data between control devices from different manufacturers.
• Asset Management: The process of maximizing the assets of the company to provide the best returns, particularly relevant in managing ICS hardware and software components.

• Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for ICS: Specialized systems designed to detect cyber threats and vulnerabilities in ICS environments.
• Patch Management: The process of managing updates of software applications, often crucial in ICS environments to fix security holes or functional bugs.
• Air Gap: A security measure employed on networks where a physical or logical separation is implemented to ensure that secure networks are isolated from unsecured networks.
• DNP3 (Distributed Network Protocol): A set of communications protocols used between components in process automation systems. It is primarily used for communications between various types of data acquisition and control equipment.
• PROFIBUS (Process Field Bus): A standard for fieldbus communication in automation technology, allowing integration from the field level to the control level.
• EtherNet/IP (Industrial Protocol): An industrial network protocol that adapts the Common Industrial Protocol to standard Ethernet.
• OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture): A platform-independent, open-source standard ensuring secure and reliable exchange of data in the industrial automation space and in other industries.
• IEC 61850: A standard for the design of electrical substation automation. It has been extended to other industries as well.
• HART (Highway Addressable Remote Transducer Protocol): A communication protocol used for sending and receiving digital information across analog wires between smart devices and a control or monitoring system.
• CANopen: A communication protocol and device profile specification for embedded systems used in automation.
• CC-Link (Control & Communication Link): A family of fieldbus protocols that enable devices from various manufacturers to communicate with each other.
• BACnet (Building Automation and Control Networks): A data communication protocol for building automation and control networks that handle applications such as heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning control (HVAC), lighting control, access control, and fire detection systems.
• IEC 60870-5: A series of standards for telecontrol (remote control and monitoring) systems used for electrical engineering and power system automation.
• EtherCAT (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology): An Ethernet-based fieldbus system, invented by Beckhoff Automation. The protocol is standardized in IEC 61158 and is suitable for both hard and soft real-time computing requirements in automation technology.
• SIS – Safety Instrumented System. An SIS is intended to perform specific control functions to prevent unsafe process operations when unacceptable or dangerous conditions occur.
• PCN – Process Control Network. A Process Control Network (PCN) is a communications network layer that is a part of the Industrial Automation networks in Process Industries. This network is used to transmit instructions and data between control and measurement units and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) equipment.
• PSM – Process Safety Management. Process Safety Management (PSM) is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulatory standard designed for processes involving Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHCs).
• Ladder Logic: Ladder logic is a graphical programming language widely used for programming programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in industrial automation. It visually represents control logic using symbols arranged in ladder-like diagrams, similar to electrical relay circuits. Each "rung" of the ladder consists of inputs (like switches or sensors) and outputs (such as actuators or relays), making it intuitive for engineers to design, troubleshoot, and implement automation control systems