A Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition

challenge is to improve the access controls to the SCADA networks. A solution will make it harder for an attacker to

Sophisticated hackers have expanded their threat matrix to include cyber-attacks on the computer systems used to operate the world’s pipelines. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) systems are increasingly subject to targeted attacks. Cyber-attacks can be perpetrated over the Internet from anywhere in the world and are capable of disrupting safe pipeline operation causing spills, explosions, or fires. The 2008 explosion on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in Turkey was reportedly caused by a cyber-attack.

Today however, a new type of warfare has emerged and occurs when outside entities conduct an attack on a power grid, network, or both with the intent of causing damage. This type of warfare is called cyber warfare. In the United States computers control everything. It is no secret that hostile countries and terrorist organizations are cognizant and they know our economy, security, and infrastructure can be crippled by a successful cyber-attack. Examples of potential targets for cyber terrorists include military bases, water systems, banking facilities, air traffic control centers and power plants. Even the Commander in Chief, President Obama has stated the threat of a cyber war is real and we must prepare for it and increase our security measures. First, this paper will discuss cyberterrorism and cyber-attacks as they pose a direct threat to national security and the economy. Then, we will review cyber-attacks against the U.S. from China, Iran, and Russia along with the impact and possible ramifications from those attacks. Finally, this paper discusses U.S. strategies to minimize the impact of cyber-attacks.

“Terrorist groups are increasingly computer savvy, and some probably are acquiring the ability to use cyber attacks to inflict isolated and brief disruptions of US infrastructure. Due to the prevalence of publicly available hacker tools, many of these groups probably already have the capability to launch denial-of-service and other nuisance attacks against Internet-connected systems” (Mavropalias, 2011). This issue is seen within articles published through many al Qaeda websites. ‘As terrorists become more computer savvy, their attack options will only increase” (War on Terrorism, 2003). In a speech by Napolitano on May 30, 2012 to business leaders and government officials, said that besides "al Qaeda and al Qaeda-related groups," cybercrime is, "the greatest threat and actual activity that we have seen aimed at the west and at the United States. Unfortunately, it is a growth arena.” Napolitano cited a study by Symantec's Norton that estimated the cost of cybercrime worldwide at $388 billion -- more than the global market for heroin, cocaine and marijuana combined (Kalberer, 2012). This is an issue that has been a constant battle since 2012 when the Stuxnet worm was publicized. The internet can be a very reliable resource or a cyberweapon if put in the wrong hands. Al qaeda’s use of information technology have been deemed harmful to potential and established

In this day in age everything from critical infrastructure, government information to money is being digitalized to the internet. Furthermore, it gave a showed a new front in which our nation can be attacked via cyber space. The Cyber security role for Homeland Security intelligence has become increasingly worrisome. Due to the fact that the cyber security of the nation has become increasingly targeted by foreign organizations, countries, and terrorists. One of the most potentially damaging targets is the nation’s critical infrastructure, especially the water and energy. In an article Hacking Gets Physical, it states that the “FBI confirmed that operatives in Russia, Iran, and China conducted mapping operations in order to discover weakness in the nations cyber security.” The critical infrastructure is becoming more digitalized because of its

As DoD laid out the strategic goals of their cyber mission, The President of the United States in February of this year was seeking 14 Billion dollars for cyber security related issues in the fiscal year 2016 budget. As the budget shrinks the cyber budget has steadily increased. The DoD would get 5.5 of the billion to use in their advancement of their cyber goals (Shalal and Selyukh 2015). These figures alone show the impact of the history of cyber operations and the impact they have had on the National Security and the National Intelligence.

When a third party gains access to information not intended for them, turmoil follows shortly after, such as during the Cold War when Russia received nuclear secrets. As technologically evolved, society welcomed new threats globally. Consequently, the U.S. finds itself surrounded by plausible risks of cyber attacks, such as hazards to the economy and infrastructure of this nation (). Economically, cyber threats pose a global shut down because of how intertwined the largest economies are, so if America’s economy collapses, other nations such as China would seriously suffer as a result. For example of how costly cyber attacks can be, the Love Bug virus costs computer users billions of dollars annually even though the virus lacks the use of expensive, high-tech equipment (). The infrastructure of the U.S. receives no less of a threat from cyber attacks. Repetition of any attacks poses the largest threat to the national security through infrastructure, military campaigns display this theory. A single battle does not determine the overall outcome of a war, much like cyber attacks. One attack does pose a potential risk, but the risk increases as the number of attacks increases. An array of threats wait for organization and execution, yet America’s preparations for such threats lacks in nearly all areas. Barack Obama placed steps to increase the nation’s cyber security, but the steps cannot prevent a full-scale cyber war, which leaves America at risk (). Many breaches of security exist where a third party gained access to secret information with undisclosed intentions, such as state-sponsored hacks by China on the

Stuxnet was one of the world’s first cyber weapons. Cyber weapons are entirely different than conventional weapons. Weapons that exist in the cyber world are characteristically non physical. This means that they do not exist further that the code they are in the computer. Weapons of this nature are highly sophisticated, meaning that weapons can damage very specific targets. This means that there is less collateral damage in attacks of this nature. Cyber weapons also bring up several questions. For example, when stuxnet was used to infiltrate the Iranian nuclear program the program entered into Iran’s sovereign territory. Cyber weapons could be so damaging that they start a war in

Understanding why infrastructures are deemed critical and why such determination is important to national security requires looking at the history of critical infrastructure protection. This background review will include the history of CIP and its development through the roots of the Cold War through the War on Terrorism; it will also briefly summarize the bills and directives pertaining to the federal government’s overall protection of the identified critical infrastructures until

The rapid proliferation of malware and sophisticated computer viruses capable of electronically interrupting and dismantling nuclear sites, key elements of infrastructure to the Programmable Logic Controller device level while "learning" or accumulating knowledge at the same time is becoming more pervasive. The well-known Stuxnet worm, which experts theorize was originally funded and supported technologically by one or more nations to attack Iran's Bushehr reactor (Greengard, 2010) is one of the most strategically lethal cyberweapons in existence today. What makes the Stuxnet worm so lethal is its ability to traverse and navigate Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks, targeting specific devices and programmable controllers down to the manufacturer and operational block level (Network Security, 2010). The Stuxnet worm is widely believed to be designed to quickly navigate the Microsoft-based platform of the Iranian Bushehr reactor and disable it from operating, as this nation is widely believed to be using the reactor to produce uranium for their weapons program (Network Security, 2010). The stealth-like nature and speed of the Stuxnet worm has also been problematic to catch even in controlled SCADA-based infrastructure systems. The level of sophistication of this threat is at a level not seen before by many organizations and national security agencies (Greengard, 2010). The intent of

The 2014 Worldwide Threat Assessment ranks cyber-related vulnerabilities as the number one homeland security threat against the United States. In addition to cyber threats within the nation, Russia and China continue to hold views substantially divergent from the United States on the meaning and intent of international cyber security. Also stated within the 2013 Worldwide Threat Assessment is North Korea as they are becoming a tier one threat to the United States. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition has been seen as vulnerable and is noted as a severe threat to the nation’s critical infrastructure.

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First policy to analyze is “Specific Criminalization of Damaging Critical Infrastructure Computers”. This policy makes attacks that affect confidentially, integrity and availability to a critical infrastructure computer illegal and punishable by jail time and

A lot of opinions and meanings has been given to the word “Cyberterrorism”. Some of these meanings and definitions varies. In this light, Gordon and Ford (2003) are concerned that when 10 people define cyberterrorism and nine of the given answers are different, and these 10 people represent different government agencies tasked with safeguarding national assets and infrastructure, then it becomes a critical issue.

Weimann (2005) describes cyberterrorism as “the use of computer network tools to harm or shut down critical national infrastructures” (p. 130) with the intention of coercing or influencing the government. Cyberterrorism has been under scrutiny by security management and the government since the mid-1990s and the threats became acknowledged since the 9/11 attacks. Since all daily operations within government and private sectors involves the use of information technology, and critical infrastructures also rely heavily on information technology, it is critical that the government place great emphasis on securing them so that they are not vulnerable to cyberattacks.