Cyber security assessment of a power plant

Critical infrastructures and systems are today exposed not only to traditional safety and availability problems, but also to new kinds of security threats. These are mainly due to the large number of new vulnerabilities and architectural weaknesses introduced by the extensive use of information and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electric power systems research 2011-02, Vol.81 (2), p.518-526
Main Authors: Nai Fovino, Igor, Guidi, Luca, Masera, Marcelo, Stefanini, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Critical infrastructures
Cybersecurity
Electric power plants
Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering
Electrical power engineering
Exact sciences and technology
Miscellaneous
Power plant security
Security assessment
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Summary:Critical infrastructures and systems are today exposed not only to traditional safety and availability problems, but also to new kinds of security threats. These are mainly due to the large number of new vulnerabilities and architectural weaknesses introduced by the extensive use of information and communication technologies (ICT) into such complex systems. In this paper we present the outcomes of an exhaustive ICT security assessment, targeting an operational power plant, which consisted also of the simulation of potential cyber attacks. The assessment shows that the plant is considerably vulnerable to malicious attacks. This situation cannot be ignored, because the potential outcomes of an induced plant malfunction can be severe.
ISSN:0378-7796
1873-2046
DOI:10.1016/j.epsr.2010.10.012