1. Recovery Planning: Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenario

Every organization needs a SCADA-specific recovery plan that addresses both technical restoration and operational continuity.

a. Define Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)

• RTO: How long your SCADA security system can be down before it severely impacts operations.

• RPO: How much data loss is acceptable in the event of a breach.

b. Create a SCADA Backup Strategy

• Use offline and air-gapped backups to protect configurations, control logic, and HMI screens.

• Perform regular backup testing to ensure recoverability.

c. Establish Incident Response Teams

• Include OT security experts, engineers, IT staff, and legal advisors.

• Conduct regular tabletop exercises simulating SCADA attacks to test team preparedness.

2. Threat Intelligence: Staying Ahead of Evolving SCADA Attacks

Proactive threat intelligence is essential for critical infrastructure cybersecurity. By staying informed about current tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), you can strengthen your SCADA defenses.

a. Subscribe to ICS-Specific Threat Feeds

• CISA Alerts for critical infrastructure attacks.

• Dragos, Nozomi Networks, and MITRE ATT&CK for ICS for targeted threat intel.

b. Monitor Network Behavior for Anomalies

Use SCADA-aware intrusion detection systems (IDS) and anomaly detection tools to spot:

• Unexpected command changes

• New device connections

• Unusual data packet flows

c. Collaborate with Industry Peers

Join Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), such as:

• E-ISAC (Electric Sector)

• WaterISAC (Water Sector)

• MS-ISAC (Municipal Systems)

3. Designing Resilient SCADA Architecture

The foundation of long-term SCADA cyber resilience lies in resilient architecture that can isolate, withstand, and contain attacks.

a. Network Segmentation

Separate your:

• Corporate IT network

• SCADA/ICS network

• Field devices and sensors

Use firewalls, VLANs, and data diodes to enforce these separations.

b. Zero Trust Architecture

Assume every device and user is untrusted by default. Implement:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

• Least privilege access controls

• Continuous verification of device behavior

c. Redundancy and High Availability

Use redundant controllers, communication paths, and HMIs to ensure that a failure or attack on one component doesn’t bring down the whole system.

Example: An energy plant uses dual redundant PLCs with failover capabilities and isolated backup HMIs to ensure operational continuity during a cyber incident.