SCADA is an important innovation for the industrial world. It stands for supervisory control and data acquisition”. A scada system collects data from various instruments, analyzes the data and controls the instruments.

Scada systems are being used to control entire plants. These are used in various industrial sectors and help manage the most complex processes in industrial plants worldwide. These are being used in all types of sectors like oil and gas, nuclear power and other manufacturing sectors.

These are also used in other complex and important sectors such as telecommunications and water treatment plants. The various instruments that build up a plant can be controlled and monitored using the scada software on a central computer.

Every time a system is modified, hacked or any problem occurs, the system gets to know about it and suitable measures can be taken to prevent any tragedy. There have been reports about some Chinese hackers attempting to hack US power grid and create a scare.

Process monitoring and penetration testing is important to prevent any such mishaps caused due to hackers. It is important to secure the vital infrastructure from foreign hackers that can cause serious problems after accessing the critical infrastructure.

Critical infrastructures have to be protected from hackers and terrorists. The penetration testing analyses and monitors the system for any vulnerabilities that can compromise security. These are essential to close any windows for hackers.

Intrusion detection systems can help know when the attacks have happened so that appropriate measures can be taken. The unsecured code in various software is prone to attacks. The remote terminal units also have to be secured from unauthorized access and attacks.

The communications between various computers are also monitored. It is important to check both the hardware and software vulnerabilities. It may be originated by employees, so it is important to monitor everything in detail.

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