Communication security in SCADA pipeline monitoring systems

This paper is dealing with the problem of communication security for automated systems. This problem became more and more stringent along with the growing use of automation in many technological procedures and keeping the pace with the increase of performance in the digital communications area. In the first part, it is made a critical analysis of a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system's vulnerabilities against cyber-attacks, with a case study - a SCADA monitoring system of a pipeline network for oil products transportation. In the second part, there are presented, with advantages and disadvantages, possible solutions for security communication in the system. Cyber-attack is defined as a computer-to-computer attack that undermines the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a computer or information resident on it.