15,234 research outputs found
Defending Against Firmware Cyber Attacks on Safety-Critical Systems
In the past, it was not possible to update the underlying software in many industrial control devices. Engineering
teams had to ārip and replaceā obsolete components. However, the ability to make firmware updates has provided
significant benefits to the companies who use Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), switches, gateways and
bridges as well as an array of smart sensor/actuators. These updates include security patches when vulnerabilities are
identified in existing devices; they can be distributed by physical media but are increasingly downloaded over
Internet connections. These mechanisms pose a growing threat to the cyber security of safety-critical applications,
which are illustrated by recent attacks on safety-related infrastructures across the Ukraine. Subsequent sections
explain how malware can be distributed within firmware updates. Even when attackers cannot reverse engineer the
code necessary to disguise their attack, they can undermine a device by forcing it into a constant upload cycle where
the firmware installation never terminates. In this paper, we present means of mitigating the risks of firmware attack
on safety-critical systems as part of wider initiatives to secure national critical infrastructures. Technical solutions,
including firmware hashing, must be augmented by organizational measures to secure the supply chain within
individual plants, across companies and throughout safety-related industries
Assessing and augmenting SCADA cyber security: a survey of techniques
SCADA systems monitor and control critical infrastructures of national importance such as power generation and distribution, water supply, transportation networks, and manufacturing facilities. The pervasiveness, miniaturisations and declining costs of internet connectivity have transformed these systems from strictly isolated to highly interconnected networks. The connectivity provides immense benefits such as reliability, scalability and remote connectivity, but at the same time exposes an otherwise isolated and secure system, to global cyber security threats. This inevitable transformation to highly connected systems thus necessitates effective security safeguards to be in place as any compromise or downtime of SCADA systems can have severe economic, safety and security ramifications. One way to ensure vital asset protection is to adopt a viewpoint similar to an attacker to determine weaknesses and loopholes in defences. Such mind sets help to identify and fix potential breaches before their exploitation. This paper surveys tools and techniques to uncover SCADA system vulnerabilities. A comprehensive review of the selected approaches is provided along with their applicability
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Securing Our Future Homes: Smart Home Security Issues and Solutions
The Internet of Things, commonly known as IoT, is a new technology transforming businesses, individualsā daily lives and the operation of entire countries. With more and more devices becoming equipped with IoT technology, smart homes are becoming increasingly popular. The components that make up a smart home are at risk for different types of attacks; therefore, security engineers are developing solutions to current problems and are predicting future types of attacks. This paper will analyze IoT smart home components, explain current security risks, and suggest possible solutions. According to āWhat is a Smart Homeā (n.d.), a smart home is a home that always operates in consideration of security, energy, efficiency and convenience, whether anyone is home or not
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