Security-Oriented Cloud Platform for SOA-Based SCADA

Abstract

During the last 10 years, experts in critical infrastructure security have been increasingly directing their focus and attention to the security of control structures such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in the light of the move toward Internet-connected architectures. However, this more open architecture has resulted in an increasing level of risk being faced by these systems, especially as they became offered as services and utilised via Service Oriented Architectures (SOA). For example, the SOA-based SCADA architecture proposed by the AESOP project concentrated on facilitating the integration of SCADA systems with distributed services on the application layer of a cloud network. However, whilst each service specified various security goals, such as authorisation and authentication, the current AESOP model does not attempt to encompass all the necessary security requirements and features of the integrated services. This paper presents a concept for an innovative integrated cloud platform to reinforce the integrity and security of SOA-based SCADA systems that will apply in the context of Critical Infrastructures to identify the core requirements, components and features of these types of system. The paper uses the SmartGrid to highlight the applicability and importance of the proposed platform in a real world scenario. 2015 15th IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Cluster, Cloud and Grid Computing 978-1-4799-8006-2/15 $31.00

Trusted Energy-Efficient Cloud-Based Services Brokerage Platform

“…Any production cloud service vitally protects the network and thus, firewalls, DS monitoring as well as other standard management mechanisms should be applied by any public/private provider to offer adequate security level. Furthermore, Unified Threat Management (UTM) systems, which can establish a kind of more subtle attack characteristics and strong networking mechanisms for the purpose of automatic reaction through activating remedial measures, may be applied [26].…”

“…A consistent and reliable connectivity level, just like any other interference to the service can be both expensive and extremely influence the broader system performance, will be needed after the services are moved into the cloud. Thus, this is identified to have two aspects: a) strengthening the current best-effort IP routing mechanisms in the Internet with additional redundancy and b) mitigating malicious denial of service attacks [26].…”

“…For instance, connection risks can be decreased by making sure that the capacity is not surpassed, where this can be attained through QoS mechanisms. Secondly, more paths from the customer to the cloud, based on offer more connection paths, can be guaranteed by the application of route redundancy [26].…”

“…The increased number of collaborative parties in a multi-clouds environment such as cloud broker leads to an increased number of connections via networked systems and thus increases the system exposure to threats [26]. The major vulnerabilities in cloud computing brokerage system are therefore as a direct result of the ubiquitous nature of using cloud-based networked systems, as follows:  The system is now able to deliver and integrate services from any location or vendor.…”

Iot Forensics: Challenges for the Ioa Era

“…Research to identify methods for performing IoT-based digital forensic analysis is essential. Mackay et al [18] and Baker et al [19] present a set of essential security services, embedded within a cloud-based "Security Toolbox", including end-to-end security services (e.g., secure virtualisation, and encrypted file system), service planning (e.g., Trust-based cloud, and SLA negotiation), and monitoring and policing (e.g., dynamic cloud monitoring and user access control). It should be noted that the toolbox and the associated services are developed in the context of a centralised SOA-based SCADA systems platform for critical infrastructures, in which none of the services were designed to help in data acquisition for forensic purposes.…”