May 2, 2013 - MAVERICK Technologies, Logos Technologies and Global Velocity will develop a solution set to protect U.S. national infrastructure from potential cyber-attacks. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems remotely monitor and control industrial processes at nuclear plants, sewage treatment facilities and other critical sites. However, most SCADA systems were designed before the emergence of network threats, leaving this infrastructure most vulnerable to intrusion.
“Our SCADA systems are no longer simple structures with simple components. Any catastrophic loss of data, servers and network infrastructure would have a huge impact on the public sector,” said Paul Galeski, CEO of MAVERICK Technologies. “So we see a government interest in SCADA defense solutions.” The three partnering companies, experts in cyber security, industrial controls and complex systems integration,will develop a Cyber Sensor Integration (CSI) solution to secure SCADA systems. CSI–SCADA is a comprehensive software solution that employs innovative techniques, continuous expert support and an understanding of attacker profiles to defeat a threat before it takes shape.
“In the age of cyber-warfare, we must take care to safeguard our physical infrastructure from hackers,” said Frank Purdy, director of National Security Services at Logos Technologies. “Properly securing SCADA systems requires the right mix of capabilities and experience.” Most facilities using SCADA systems are privately owned. However, given the millions of Americans they service, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security has been actively monitoring software vulnerabilities, providing guidance and issuing warnings to the industry. “We are seeing a convergence of cyber-attacks on industrial control systems,” said Greg Sullivan, CEO of Global Velocity. “So it’s important that our response be as holistic — and as collaborative — as possible." The public, private and non-profit sectors, including every level of government, all have an important role to play in preventing cyber-attacks, according to the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security website.
