Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Stratum8 Releases Whitepaper on Securing SCADA Systems That Control Nation's Energy Infrastructure

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 19:56:01 -0500

Stratum8 Releases Whitepaper on Securing SCADA Systems That Control Nation's Energy
Infrastructure

Story Filed: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 9:01 AM EST

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct 30, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

New Layer of Internet Security is Required to Protect Critical Systems That Manage Oil,
Natural Gas, and Electricity
Resources

Stratum8 Networks, Inc., the company that secures Web-based systems from application level
attacks, today announced that
it has made publicly available a whitepaper on securing Internet-exposed Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
systems that are used to control critical infrastructure resources around the world. SCADA
systems, which manage the
production, transmission, and distribution of energy resources including oil, natural gas,
and electricity, are becoming
increasingly connected to the Internet and as a result much more vulnerable to attack. The
Stratum8 Whitepaper outlines the
security implications associated with making SCADA systems accessible via corporate
Intranets and the Internet, and outlines
steps utility companies and government agencies can take to protect these systems from
unauthorized access. The Whitepaper
is available at http://www.stratum8.com/news--events/webinars/scadawp.shtml.

"SCADA is a very powerful remote control system that directly manages infrastructure
equipment, pipelines and dams. In the
wrong hands, it can wreak a tremendous amount of havoc," said Al Iverson, owner of Ivy
Optiks a control systems consulting
firm, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Standards and Practices Department of
the ISA - The Instrumentation,
Systems, and Automation Society. "Utility companies that want to provide Web access to
SCADA systems need to put up the
equivalent of a brick wall in front of these applications to protect them."

There are currently 3 million SCADA systems worldwide being used to monitor and control
the movement of oil, natural gas,
electricity, and water. Traditionally, these sensitive systems were based on proprietary
or "homegrown" technologies and
isolated from mainstream computer networks. This isolation provided an important measure
of safety. However, two recent
trends are exposing SCADA systems to attacks from the outside. The use of commercial
hardware and software, such as
Windows, UNIX, and third party applications, in SCADA systems is increasing. At the same
time, utilities are connecting
SCADA systems to their corporate networks, intranets, the Internet, and even wireless
networks. As a result, these
developments expose SCADA systems to the same vulnerabilities and threats as corporate
networks and Internet-facing
applications.

"As part of initiatives to reduce operating costs and improve customer service, utilities
are shifting SCADA and other critical
systems to the Web. By 2003, 30 percent of all utility business is expected to be
conducted online," said Bob Walters, Chief
Executive Officer for Stratum8 Networks. "Providing application level security for SCADA
systems connected to the Internet
is as much a matter of national security as it is a business imperative for utility
companies. As an active member of several key
industry associations focused on IT security and Homeland Defense including IT-SAC and
ITAA, Stratum8 products are
designed to meet and exceed the most rigorous commercial and government requirements for
protecting critical infrastructure
applications like SCADA."

    Stratum8 APS-100

The Stratum8 APS-100 hardens security for Web applications by protecting against threats
that are not detected by network
based firewalls and intrusion detection systems. The APS-100 operates at the application
layer and uses patent-pending
behavior blocking technology that learns an application's behavior, inspects incoming and
outgoing traffic, and allows
acceptable behaviors to be executed while blocking unacceptable behaviors. As a result, it
protects against known and
undocumented attacks without relying on signatures. As applications change and new
functionality is added, the APS-100
dynamically learns new behaviors and adjusts security parameters accordingly. The APS-100
is a 1U rack-mountable device
that typically installs in one hour. It is available from Stratum8 and its business
partners worldwide. Pricing for the APS-100
starts at $25,000.

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