Software-defined radio (SDR) offers many benefits for both ICS/SCADA equipment manufactures and end users. Despite this, the use of wireless technologies in critical infrastructure environments introduces significant cybersecurity risks.
The use of software, rather than specialised hardware, in SDR has significantly reduced the cost associated with attacking as well as implementing radio networks; with tools for hacking wireless networks in the 10 MHz – 6 GHz operating frequencies costing less than US$350.
This session will explore the cybersecurity risks associated with using SDR in critical infrastructure environments and discuss some of the strategies available for addressing them.
Specifically, it will:
- provide an overview of the unique security challenges with ICS/SCADA systems;
- discuss the C-I-A triad and its applicability to ICS/SCADA environments;
- present examples showing how SDR is architected into ICS/SCADA environments;
- discuss cybersecurity threats introduced by these architectures; and
- present the strategies available to manage those cybersecurity threats.