IT Applications in Security of Industrial Control Systems

This century is referred to as information century. Information technology is a novel field that study information gathering, processing and distribution. One of the most important branches in IT is security. A network has been the base of industrial control systems for over decades. As long as the security was based on total isolation, there was no need to make any special networking security considerations. Only recently, when the industrial networks have become wider and even connected to the Internet, the security topic has become vital. Any intrusion to an industrial control system can be very dangerous, especially for critical government infrastructures. This paper discusses the computer control systems used within process control industries, their similarities, and network architectures. Also common attackers and some of security methods against intrusion are considered.