ISP Industrial Control Systems & Critical Infrastructure Security Flashcards

Which U.S. government agency is the primary authority for protecting critical infrastructure cybersecurity and coordinates sector-specific agencies?

Answer: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

CISA leads national efforts to understand, manage, and reduce risk to cyber and physical infrastructure across the 16 critical infrastructure sectors.

An Industrial Control System (ICS) SCADA network differs from a traditional IT network primarily because:

Answer: ICS/SCADA systems control physical processes with real-time requirements where downtime or errors can have safety consequences

ICS/SCADA systems manage physical processes—pipelines, power grids, manufacturing lines—where cyber failures can directly cause physical harm or safety incidents.

The Purdue Model (Industrial Automation and Control Systems reference architecture) is PRIMARILY used to:

Answer: Define network segmentation zones and security boundaries between IT and OT systems

The Purdue Model provides a hierarchical framework for segmenting industrial networks into zones from the enterprise level down to field devices, enabling security boundary definition.

Which of the following is a unique security challenge in Operational Technology (OT) environments compared to IT?

Answer: Many OT devices have 20-30 year lifecycles and cannot accept security patches without disrupting operations

Legacy OT devices were designed for longevity and reliability, not security, making patching difficult or impossible without operational impact.

A 'DMZ' (Demilitarized Zone) between IT and OT networks is PRIMARILY designed to:

Answer: Provide a controlled buffer zone where data can be exchanged between IT and OT without direct connectivity

An OT DMZ allows necessary data flows between IT and OT while preventing direct connectivity that could enable lateral movement of attackers.

Stuxnet is historically significant in ICS security because it demonstrated that:

Answer: Air-gapped industrial control systems can be compromised through physical media, causing real-world physical damage

Stuxnet proved that air gaps can be crossed via infected USB drives and that malware can cause physical destruction to industrial equipment.