Industrial Control System (ICS)
What is Industrial Control System (ICS)?
An Industrial Control System (ICS) monitors and controls physical processes (like power, water, and manufacturing) using devices such as PLCs, RTUs, HMIs, and supervisory systems (SCADA/DCS).
Examples
- A water treatment plant uses sensors and PLCs to regulate chemical dosing and pump speeds.
- An electric substation uses RTUs to open/close breakers and report status to a SCADA control center.
Discover 🔎
Industrial Control Systems connect the digital world to physical equipment. They read sensor data, make control decisions, and operate actuators to keep processes safe, efficient, and within specification. Unlike typical IT systems, ICS prioritize safety, reliability, and availability; downtime can impact human safety, the environment, and critical services.
Summary 📝
ICS keep critical services running by turning sensor data into safe control actions. Security strategy must respect real-time and safety constraints: gain visibility, segment per Purdue, tightly control remote access, allowlist communications, and maintain offline backups of control logic. Strong OT security reduces the chance that an IT incident becomes a plant outage.
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