Kazio Networks

Security Assessment Methods for SCADA Systems

Melvin Foo — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:21:58 PDT

Here is a good whitepaper from Idaho National Labs describing methods for vulnerability (identification, assessment and resolution) within SCADA systems. It’s four years old (written by May Robin Permann and Kenneth Rohde, Idaho National Labs in 2005) but is still a great reference in terms of it’s organized methodologies.

Intravue: Simplifying plant level network troubleshooting

Melvin Foo — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:48:02 PDT

We are pleased to announce our newest partner - Network Vision. Network Vision is the brains behind Intravue and AutoIP (a tool that automatically assigns fixed IP addresses to replacement equipment avoiding the complexities and hardware specific requirements of DHCP Option 82).

Intravue is a plant level troubleshooting and diagnostic monitoring software that helps identify intermittent problems, random communication outages caused by misbehaving devices, improperly configured systems, duplicate addresses, wiring mistakes, infrastructure problems and more. It is focused on Industrial Ethernet diagnostic monitoring when connecting to PLCs, Drives, I/O, Cameras, SCADA Systems etc.

Intravue is specifically tailored to the plant level field/ control system engineer needing a quick and easy solution to diagnosing/ troubleshooting their Industrial Ethernet network problems. It is currently part of global corporate network standards of several Fortune 500 manufacturing facilities, plants and municipal establishments.

Some features of Intravue are listed below:

- Real time automatic discovery/ mapping of the network and continuous network updates without disruption of bandwidth/ traffic (as opposed to traditional monitoring devices)
- Ease of integration with HMI or SCADA systems
- Email alarming of critical events
- Communications trending between devices
- Device communication logs
- Threshold graphing
- One click accessibility to any network device details and configuration
- Documentation/ user manual and wiring diagram of specific Industrial Ethernet devices
- Easy documentation; export of devices and connections to spreadsheets

Links

Network Vision Website
Live Demo (Java required)
Video of Features
Product Brochure
Value of Intravue

To schedule a live webinar of Intravue, enquiry on pricing details or/and to purchase the Intravue solution, please contact us at 484-334-2757 or fill in the form below.

ISA100.11a Wireless Standard Approved

Melvin Foo — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:33:26 PDT

A major milestone announced today, the ISA100 committee has approved the wireless industrial standard ISA100.11a, “Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation: Process Control and Related Applications.”

Before being officially published, the standard has to be further reviewed by the co-chairs (Wayne Manges of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pat Schweitzer of ExxonMobil), the ISA Standards and Practices Board and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). It is expected to be published in August.

ISA100 official page

Counterfeit Systimax Cat 6 cables in circulation

Melvin Foo — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:49:54 PDT

Be aware that Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has issued an alert on the circulation of counterfeit Systimax Cat 6 cables. It bears a counterfeit SYSTIMAX® Solutions logo, print message, label and UL Mark for the Untied States and Canada. It has the following descriptions: “SYSTIMAX® SOLUTIONS, GigaSPEED® XL Cable, Communications Cable, 1000 Feet, No. 1069.”

The quantity currently in circulation is unknown and is distributed by Ke Jie Electronic Appliance Store, Booth G241, Zone B, Pacific Computer Market, Tianhe District, Guangzhou B G241 CHINA.

We can’t stress enough the importance of using cables that conform to particular category specifications. The criticality of using counterfeit cables within Industrial environments is a definite show stopper. It could result in catastrophic occurrences as the cables may not withstand or perform within its category specifications.

Systimax® is the flagship brand of Commscope.

(Image Source: http://www.ul.com)

A shout out to our partners

Melvin Foo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:14:58 PDT

I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to our partners. They complement our industrial network services with their excellent products.

The global leader in secure communication technologies that simplify remote access, management, and control of virtually any electronic device regardless of location.

The leading manufacturer of switches, routers and more. Cisco Systems designs, manufactures and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology (IT) industry, and provides services associated with these products and their use.

Net Optics is the global leader in passive monitoring access for security and network management applications. Their innovative family of hardware products enables companies to access and monitor their network using the latest Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems, Protocol Analyzers, and Network Probes.

Provider of Industrial Grade Fiber Optic Converters and Ethernet Switches. Formerly called Weed Instruments, they provide data interface options for Industrial Ethernet, ControlNet, DeviceNet, Profibus, Modbus, Modbus Plus, Data Highway Plus, DH-485, Genius, Remote I/O, RS232/484, Reliance R-Net, 4-20mA and 0-10V.

Black Box Network Services is the world’s largest independent provider of communications, infrastructure, and product solutions. They offer over 118,000 technology products to fit your communications and infrastructure networking needs.

Transition Networks, Inc. offers networking connectivity solutions that make networks perform better, faster and more reliably while helping companies leverage their existing networking infrastructure. The company’s Transition Networks brand of media converters makes conversion between disparate media types possible; providing conversion technology solutions that offer the necessary adaptations without affecting the performance, nature or appearance of the network. These media conversion technologies are offered across a broad spectrum of networking protocols including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit, T1/E1, DS3, ATM, V.35 and many more. They have an extensive range of Industrial Ethernet products for hardened and extreme environments.

Shop for Lantronix, Transition Networks and Cisco products at our online store. Alternatively, you can contact us by phone or through our online form for any of the above brand specific quotes/ quantities.

Useful links: Security in Control Systems

Melvin Foo — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:29:15 PDT

Browsing some discussions and references on twitter, here are recent articles emphasizing the fact that Security in Control Systems is something not to be taken lightly.

Hackers Penetrating Control Systems (PC World)
Hackers Penetrating Industrial Control Systems (Computer World Security)
R&D work vulnerable to cyber threats (Federal Computer Week)
Control Systems Cyber Security - The Current Status of Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructures (Joseph Weiss’ testimony to the Members of Congress dated March 19, 2009)

Around the web

Cyber Security Procurement Language for Control Systems Version 1.8 (MSISA)
Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MSISA)
Research Challenges for the Security of Control Systems (University of California, Berkeley)
Advances Needed in Control System Cyber Security (ControlGlobal.com)
Guide to Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security (NIST)
A Summary of Control System Security Standards Activities in the Energy Sector (Department of Energy)

Any other links that you want to share, let us know in the comments and we will add it to the list.

TIA-568-C cabling standard released

Melvin Foo — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:50:44 PDT

TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) has released the TIA-568-C.0/ C.1 standard. This replaces the older (but commonly used) TIA-568-B.1 and its addenda.

The standards doc. TIA-568-C.0 and C.1 will be combined with the TIA-568-C.3 Fiber Optic Cabling Components Standards (published mid ‘08) and TIA-568-C.2, Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard (release date: TBA) to form the “TIA-568-C suite of standards”.

What does TIA-568-C standards give you over the older TIA 568-B?

The new standard will be more of a generic structured cable document emphasizing on efficiency and effectiveness. It aims to put all common cabling information within a single source; allowing cable usage in different types of facilities and premises within a multi product/ multi vendor environment. The TIA-568-C.0 standards document will cover cabling requirements, structure, topologies, distances, installation, performance and testing.

TIA-568-C suite of standards breakdown:

TIA-568-C.0 Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises
TIA-568-C.1 Commercial Building Telecommunication Cabling Standards - Part 1 General Requirements
TIA-568-C.2 Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard (release date: TBA)
TIA-568-C.3 Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard

Here is a podcast from TIA’s Henry Cuschieri and TR-42 Telecommunications Cabling Systems Engineering Committee Chair Herb Congdon, Manager of Standards and Technology for AMP NETCONNECT Systems at Tyco Electronics, discussing the recent updates to TR-42 cabling infrastructure standards, the recent updates to TR-42 cabling infrastructure standards, the work underway in the committee’s Green Issues Task Force, including the revision of the Building Automation Standard (BAS) TIA-568-C series.

Press Release

TIA Online

Purchase TIA-568-C.0, TIA-568-C.1, TIA-568-C.3 here.

Wireless Power in Control Systems?

Melvin Foo — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:59:00 PDT

Wireless power is a pretty intriguing technology that has been lingering within the electronics industry but has often been deemed more gimmicky (than useful). The wireless electricity theory has been around for more than 100 years with engineer/ inventor Nikola Tesla’s wireless radio/power experiments of the early 20th Century; so it is nothing new but more of a reinvented technology.

Nikola failed to bring this to light (no pun intended) because of two things … 1) the technology was before it’s time and 2) his financing was taken away because his investors didn’t like the idea of him wanting to give electricity away for free. But recently, serious investments from companies/groups like PowerBeam, Powercast, MIT’s Witricity, Powermat, eCoupled, WiPower and WildCharge are taking the idea to another level and making it reality.

It’s a step in the right direction.

PowerBeam in particular has achieved wireless power to about 32 feet – which they claim to be the longest distance achieved so far. They do it with emission of laser from a *line of sight* type transmitter to a solar cell receiver where it is then converted into electricity to power a particular device. Witricity’s electrical transmission is done with inductive coupling in magnetic fields. Powercast uses RF signals to deliver power through walls, ceilings and surfaces (rubber, plastic, plaster and wood). Powermat, eCoupled, WiPower and WildCharge concentrate on transmitting electricity across a very short distance with inductive coupling to charge devices on a charging pad.

At this *experimental* stage the wattage output is still pretty low; so the type/ amount of devices being powered are limited. Some claim the average efficiency rate of around 60%, which is pretty decent considering some household appliances don’t even reach that.

Of all the companies, I believe Powercast may be the one that could take the leap onto the factory floor and control systems. This is partly because RF is already present and in use within several industry sectors. In terms of power, the low voltages could be enough to power up some factory floor devices like switches, scanners, cameras, PLCs, I/O and more. The biggest hindrance would be the reliability, safety and security factors – which they aren’t majorly concerned about yet. Rightly so, considering it is still considered *experimental*.

“Lead and everyone will follow.”

Whether it jumps into the industrial realm will depend on the demand and whether there is a market for it. I believe there is one, but reliability and security factors may scare the industry. It will take a big company to lead by example. I could see ISA potentially bundling it within their ISA99 or ISA100 security/wireless standards respectively — alternatively coming up with a new one. The Wireless Consortium is already pursuing a standard.

As with everything, the *fear of the unknown* stops everyone from embracing innovation and wireless power may be one that is too risky to embrace (yet). When properly standardized, its quirks hammered out and the disadvantages properly combated, the costs savings and convenience factors could be so great that it would be hard to not warrant consideration. Infrastructure design and installations could take a new dimension as with how wireless (data) is taking the industry by storm now. The biggest outcry will come from the cable manufacturers (without trying to state the obvious).

YouTube has some interesting demonstrations of wireless power/ electricity here and here.

We are now faced with the same dilemma Tesla had years ago… are we ready for it or is the technology way ahead of our time (yet again)?

Cisco launches comic book series targeting security professionals

Melvin Foo — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:47:15 PDT

Cisco is getting pretty innovative. They just released a comic book style 4 part animation series called The Realm. It’s about a group of Cisco engineers battling the evils of network security within the world. This is launched to coincide with their industry conference next month.

Each episode raises issues surrounding security threats, like identity theft and malware, that are averted by comic book heroes, said Marie Hattar, VP of marketing. “The idea was, it would drive the readership to look for products that could [protect them] in real life,” she added.

Taping into the stereotypical security person’s love of comic books and online games, this may proof to be a gimmicky (but effective) effort.