ICS Attack Targets

Any hardware or software processing, storing, or transmitting information digitally is vulnerable to cyberattack. Whether the system can be compromised is dependent on whether the vulnerability is exploitable. In other words, any system can be attacked, but not every attack will be successful. In control system environments, several types of digital assets can be targeted by a cyber adversary:

• Networking devices
• Programmable logic controllers (PLCs)
• Remote terminal units (RTUs)
• Human-machine interface (HMI) workstations
• Data acquisition servers and historians
• Engineering workstations
• Remote access devices
• Authentication and authorization servers

Even integrated safety systems could be vulnerable, and there is risk if connected directly to the control system network. There are many pathways to communicate with an ICS network and its components using a variety of computing and communications equipment. These pathways can be used by anyone knowledgeable in process equipment, networks, operating systems, and software applications to gain access to the ICS.