Category: Industrial Control Systems (ICS)

Of all the protocols, OPC is most popular. “To understand why OPC is so popular, consider the example of printer drivers: Under MS-DOS, the developer of each application also had to develop a printer driver for every printer, one for an Epson FX-80, one for the HP LaserJet, and on and on. Microsoft solved the […]

These classic specifications have served the industry well, but as technology has evolved, so did the need for OPC specifications. In 2008, the OPC Unified Architecture (UA) was developed as a platform independent service-oriented architecture to address the issue of platform interoperability by using Web services-oriented architecture (SOA) in place of .NET and DCOM. UA […]

OPC does not represent a network protocol in the traditional sense, but rather a capability to support the interfacing and interconnection with disparate vendor technologies. OPC is a set of several specifications for sharing data based on Microsoft technologies COM, DCOM, OLE, and RPC. Microsoft has since replaced these technologies with .NET and no longer […]

OPC (Open Platform Communication, formerly OLE for Process Control) is a series of standard, manufacturer-independent programming interfaces through which an automation application client such as an HMI can access data coming from remote devices such as PLC, fieldbus devices, or real-time databases. OPC has become the most versatile way to communicate in the automation layer […]

Profibus is a smart fieldbus technology. It is specifically designed for high-speed serial I/O in factory and building automation applications. It is recognized as the fastest fieldbus in operation. Profibus is an open-standard fieldbus defined by German DIN 19245 Parts 1 & 2. Devices on the system connect to a central line. Once connected, these […]

Inter-Control Center Communications Protocol (ICCP), also known as the Telecontrol Application Service Element 2 (TASE.2), is a vendor-independent standard protocol. It is designed specifically for real-time data exchange between ISO (Independent System Operator) control centers, power pools, regional control centers, transmission utilities, distribution utilities, and generation facilities over LAN and WAN. ICCP is based on […]

DNP3 uses the TCP/IP protocol stack and exists on top of the transport layer (TCP or UDP). Three distinct layers contained within the DNP3 application are DNP3 Data Link layer, DNP3 Transport layer, and DNP3 Application layer. Just as Modbus DNP traffic is sent in plaintext, DNP3 connections are susceptible to session hijacking, denial of […]

Data Concentrator DNP3 is a communication protocol used in SCADA and remote monitoring systems. DNP3 stands for Distributed Network Protocol 3rd version. It is widely used because it is an open protocol, meaning any manufacturer can develop DNP3 equipment that is compatible with other DNP3 equipment. Because DNP3 was designed to support communications with geographically […]

Modbus Flooding Attack The Modbus protocol, like many control protocols, does not include any mechanisms to protect confidentiality, although there is Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC) integrity checking. CRC is a common method used by ICS protocols to determine if the data were unintentionally changed during transmission. The original Modbus protocol does not protect the system […]

To facilitate interoperability in modern networks, the Modbus Application Protocol (MBAP) header is dropped onto the TCP/IP stack at the application layers in both the OSI and Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) models. This creates a cybersecurity situation where an insecure protocol is using an insecure transport mechanism to perform mission critical and vital operations. […]