Document Actions
Critical Infrastructure: Control Systems and the Terrorist Threat
Title: Critical Infrastructure: Control Systems and the Terrorist Threat
Author: Dana A. Shea
Date: Updated January 20, 2004
Institution: Congressional Research Service - Library of Congress
Bibliographic Entry: Shea, Dana A.. “Critical Infrastructure: Control Systems and the Terrorist Threat”. Congressional Research Service - Library of Congress. Updated January 20, 2004
Electronic Link: http://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL31534.pdf
Key Words: critical infrastructure protection, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), cyber-attack, cyber terrorism
Summary of Key Issues, Points, Conclusions:
This report addresses the vulnerability of US critical infrastructure to cyber-attack and catastrophic failure. Industry sectors potentially affected by a cyber-attack on process control systems include the electrical, telephone, water, chemical and energy sectors. The federal government has issued warnings regarding increases in terrorist interest in the cyber-security of industrial control systems and efforts to increase security have occurred at both federal government facility and in critical infrastructure sectors. Efforts in increasing the cyber-security of control systems occur both at federal government facilities and, in critical infrastructure sectors, through industry groups.
Current initiatives include
- In DHS, the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO), the National Infrastructure Protection Center, the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC), part of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Assurance, and the National Cyber Security Division;
- In DoE (Department of Energy), its national laboratories and the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
- In DOD, the Combating Terrorism Technology Support program;
- the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent regulatory agency within the Department of Energy; and
- industry initiatives developing voluntary best-practices for process control system security and cryptographic protection of SCADA communications
Possible policy options for congressional consideration include further development of uniform standards; growth in research into security methods; assessing the effectiveness of the new exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); and the integration into DHS.
Name of Researcher: Katie Stout
Institution: Integrative Center for Homeland Security, Texas A&M University
Date: October 12, 2007