Cyber Security Threats To Pipelines and Refineries

"Cyber Security Threats To Pipelines And Refineries"Pipeline & Gas Journal (11/07) Vol. 234, No. 11, P. 56 ; Williams, Tyler
The cyber security threat to critical infrastructure systems continues to be a clear and present danger. Terrorists and hackers that want to paralyze the United States could deal a devastating blow by disabling key infrastructure systems such as power plants, oil and gas pipelines and refineries. Pipelines are especially vulnerable because they tend to be located in unpoliced and isolated areas. Although the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system offers a measure of protection, an entire pipeline could be taken out of commission if an attacker gained access to a physical Ethernet port at a field site. An combined cyber and physical attack also poses major implications, particularly if an attacker accesses critical servers in a SCADA control center. By infiltrating a server in the control center, the hacker could feed false information to the asset owner, making it appear as though an event was in the making at a far off site in a bid to distract emergency sources at the site so that it could target another critical site at a separate location. While such an attack seems far-fetched, several power companies in the U.S. routinely report instances of hackers trying to circumvent their security to tap into their computer networks. A similar event took place in Estonia this spring after hackers pummeled the government and other Website with cyber attacks as retribution for the removal of a beloved Russian war memorial there.