Industrial Control Systems: Cyberattack trends and countermeasures

Abstract

It is generally understood that an attacker with limited resources would not be able to carry out targeted attacks on Industrial Control Systems. Breaking this general notion, we present case studies of major attacks on Industrial Control Systems (ICSs) in the last 20 years. The attacks chosen are the most prominent ones in terms of the economic loss inflicted, the potential to damage physical equipment and to cause human casualties. For each of these attacks, we describe the attack methodology used and suggest possible solutions to prevent such attacks. We analyze each case study to provide a better insight into the development of future cybersecurity techniques for ICSs. Finally, we suggest some recommendations on the best practices for protecting ICSs.