Challenges for IDS/IPS Deployment in Industrial Control Systems

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) are a key component of defense-in-depth strategy for information systems. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems need to incorporate this technology in order to properly defend against a growing threat landscape. This paper examines how to deploy this technology in a sample ICS/SCADA setting, identifies hurdles that both industrial control system vendors and asset owners must overcome in order to make IDS/IPS deployment successful, and provides recommendations for both vendors and owners in order to approach the use of these technologies.This paper is written with two audiences in mind. It is intended for the enterprise IT professional who is familiar with security technologies and best practices, but unfamiliar with ICS/SCADA, as well as ICS/SCADA engineers and managers who lack experience in enterprise security.