Protecting SCADA systems against cyber threats

This project demonstrates how an industrial SCADA system can be designed, monitored, and assessed from a cybersecurity perspective. A complete laboratory environment was developed to simulate an industrial production line using PLCs, Modbus/TCP protocols, an HMI system, and a virtualized network infrastructure.

Once the environment was deployed, a security assessment was conducted to identify real-world vulnerabilities in industrial communications. The investigation demonstrated how an attacker could manipulate an automated process by exploiting weaknesses in Modbus/TCP, a widely used OT protocol that lacks native authentication and encryption mechanisms.

The following practical demonstration showcases the normal operation of the SCADA system, which classifies materials based on their color: GREEN pieces are directed to the left, while BLUE pieces are directed to the right.

By exploiting the lack of encryption in Modbus, an attacker can analyze the communication between SCADA components and develop a Python script to send crafted requests. This allows the attacker to manipulate the system's behavior, causing the material classifier to malfunction.

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