A Virtual SCADA Laboratory for Cybersecurity Pedagogy and Research
Zach Thornton

This presentation describes a virtual Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition(SCADA) laboratory. This virtual laboratory was built using virtual devices that simulate industrial processes, emulate control system ladder logic functionality, and utilize control system communication protocols. Human machine interfaces(HMIs) were developed for distribution and testing, as well as implementing commercially available HMIs that are used in SCADA industries. In addition to virtual devices and HMIs, attacks against this virtual system were developed and implemented against the virtual system. Rules for detecting these attacks using the SNORT IDS were also developed. The process simulations, virtual devices, HMIs, and attacks are all run within separate virtual computing environments. Uses for this laboratory include both SCADA security research and pedagogy. The laboratory serves research purposes, as it utilizes industry standard SCADA communication protocols, as well and commercial HMIs, is capable of interfacing with physical SCADA equipment, and is capable of producing volumes of industrial control system traffic. It also serves pedagogical purposes as several laboratory exercises were developed in conjunction with the simulators to demonstrate the workings of cyber-physical security in a classroom environment.

Bio: Bachelor's in Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University, Former Process Control Engineer at Georgia-Pacific, currently pursing Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University. Research includes virtual simulations of ICS/SCADA systems for cyber-intrusion research.

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