Cybersecurity awareness in an Industrial Control Systems company

Abstract: This paper investigates the cybersecurity awareness levels of employees at an industrial control systems organization and measures their knowledge on the potential impact of cyber-related attacks on their systems through a case study. Attacks on industrial control systems as well as the information technology infrastructure which it relies on, are becoming a growing problem for governments and organizations. Cybersecurity policies of organizations are critical to ensure that industrial control systems environments are adequately protected. It is equally important for the organizations to ensure that their employees are aware of the cybersecurity policies and why they must be implemented. In many cases, however, organizations are faced with employees who are not aware of the potential cyber-related security threats posed to their industrial control systems, nor the impact these attacks might have. Results show that although employees understand the severity of cyber vulnerabilities their awareness is low

Design Considerations for Reducing Battery Storage in Off-Grid, Stand-Alone, Photovoltaic-Powered Cold Storage in Rural Applications

This paper presents design considerations for the design and implementation of stand-alone photovoltaic-powered containerized cold storage solutions for rural off-grid applications. The work presented is based on a case study of an off-grid photovoltaic-powered cold storage unit located in rural South Africa. Although solar-powered solutions for off-grid rural applications are very attractive and offer many benefits, including increased food security, skills development, income generation, and productivity due to the presence of solar power, the application of cold storage requires careful consideration of the design aspects to ensure that the solution is feasible and sustainable. The challenge of maintaining low temperatures inside a cold storage system in an excessively warm environment, such as that frequently encountered in most African rural settings, has stimulated discussions of design considerations for optimal efficiency. Not only are the design aspects of the PV panel mounting and tilt associated with the geographic location of the application, but the heating implications are also derived from the physical orientation of the storage unit. Results from mathematical models are substantiated with field data collected from a case deployment. The design considerations for the sizing of the electrical components in the system are presented. The paper concludes by answering the research question as to what design aspects should be considered for an off-grid, PV-powered containerized cold storage system to reduce the size of the battery storage unit

Adaption of a Secure Software Development Methodology for Secure Engineering Design

With the rapid advancement of technologies in the era of Industry 4.0, the inter-connected nature of operations and systems is introducing a rapidly changing landscape of digitized and connected systems. Cybercrime is considered as possibly the greatest threat to connected systems worldwide, and therefore there exists a large drive in engineering to include cybersecurity in the design, development and maintenance of smart cyber-physical systems. Traditionally, the cybersecurity space was considered the responsibility of Information Technology (IT) professionals, where the greater IT infrastructure was required to keep these engineering systems safe. However, through the evolution of engineering and control systems, the IT infrastructure has started to become more integrated with these systems, improving the efficiency of the systems, but also making them more susceptible to cyber-attacks. These changes mean that securing these systems cannot remain the sole responsibility of the IT professionals, as systems must be designed with cybersecurity in mind. Considering that engineers are designing and developing more integrated systems, there exists a knowledge gap in the field of cybersecurity engineering and engineers' understanding of their cybersecurity responsibilities. This study aimed to determine the level of security that is currently considered in standard electrical engineering projects in a typical academic environment. This baseline serves as a motivation to develop a practical approach to assist engineering students in considering cybersecurity when developing engineering systems and products

Characteristics of Spherical Organic Particles Emitted from Fixed-Bed Residential Coal Combustion

Residential coal combustion is one of the most significant sources of carbonaceous aerosols in the Highveld region of South Africa, significantly affecting the local and regional climate. This study investigated single coal-burning particles emitted when using different fire-ignition techniques (top-lit up-draft versus bottom-lit up-draft) and air ventilation rates (defined by the number of air holes above and below the fire grate) in selected informal braziers. Aerosol samples were collected on nucleopore filters at the Sustainable Energy Technology and Research Centre Laboratory, University of Johannesburg. The individual particles (~700) were investigated using a scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Two distinct forms of spherical organic particles (SOPs) were identified, one less oxidized than the other. The particles were further classified into electronically dark and bright. The EDX analysis showed that 70% of the dark spherical organic particles had higher (~60%) relative oxygen content than in the bright SOPs. The morphology of spherical organic particles were quantified and classified into four categories: ~50% were bare single particles; ~35% particles were aggregated and formed diffusion accretion chains; 10% had inclusions, and 5% were deformed due to impaction on filter material during sampling. This study concludes that there are two distinct kinds of coal burning spherical organic particles and that dark SOPs are less volatile than bright SOPs. The authors also show that these spherical organic particles are similar in nature and characteristics to tar balls observed in biomass combustion and that they have the potential to absorb sunlight thereby affecting the earth’s radiative budget and climate. This study provides insights into the mixing states, morphology, and possible formation mechanisms of these organic particles from residential coal combustion in informal stoves

Major security incidents since 2014: an African perspective

The integration of technology in the modern society provides many benefits, but with increased connectivity comes increased risk where governments, businesses and individuals are vulnerable to a variety of cyber-attacks. Many of the large information security attacks of the last decade can be seen as an attack on 'foreign” systems or individuals when viewed from an African perspective, with no direct impact on an individual in Africa. However, information security experts in Africa states that although some of these attacks might not have had a direct impact of the African individual, but never the less should not be ignored as it does indirectly influence the African individual. The experts state that even if the individuals or businesses are not directly influenced by an attack, it should not be ignored as similar attacks might influence them in the future. They emphasise that these attacks should improve their cybersecurity awareness and behaviour, in order to prevent similar attacks from impacting them

Major security incidents since 2014: an African perspective

Publisher versionThe integration of technology in the modern society provides many benefits, but with increased connectivity comes increased risk where governments, businesses and individuals are vulnerable to a variety of cyber-attacks. Many of the large information security attacks of the last decade can be seen as an attack on 'foreign” systems or individuals when viewed from an African perspective, with no direct impact on an individual in Africa. However, information security experts in Africa states that although some of these attacks might not have had a direct impact of the African individual, but never the less should not be ignored as it does indirectly influence the African individual. The experts state that even if the individuals or businesses are not directly influenced by an attack, it should not be ignored as similar attacks might influence them in the future. They emphasise that these attacks should improve their cybersecurity awareness and behaviour, in order to prevent similar attacks from impacting them