SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems monitor and control industrial processes, power grids, water treatment, manufacturing, oil and gas. SCADA networks have historically used proprietary serial protocols but increasingly run over IP, which exposes them to cyber threats. Standards such as IEC 62443 define security baselines for industrial control systems.

Categories: Security ControlsThreats and AttacksProtocols and Standards

SCADA in context

Security controls span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36.

Telecom threats range from opportunistic SMS phishing and SIM swap to nation-state grade location tracking. The common thread is that most attacks exploit the inherited trust model of legacy signaling protocols.

To place SCADA in the wider telecom-security picture, review Cipher Downgrade Attack, HI2, Mediation Device (Lawful Interception), OAM, RPKI and UEA — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

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