The importance of SCADA health audits

Why is such maintenance a business-critical need?

Regular audits are necessary to ensure the reliability, security, and efficiency of the SCADA system. Audits are a means to not only performance optimization but also threat neutralization.

• The operation of critical infrastructure such as power plants, water treatment facilities, and manufacturing need to avoid downtime as much as possible. Audits ensure these systems function correctly and minimize the risk of operational failure.
• SCADA systems are often targets for cyberattacks. Given that they oversee processes across large areas, often relying on public communication networks, they are highly at risk. Security is further complicated because SCADA systems often use multiple vendors and fragmented infrastructure, making it crucial to conduct regular audits and identity potential vulnerabilities.
• Industries that are subject to regulations need auditing to ensure compliance and eliminate the risk of penalty or reputational damage.
• Even when systems can appear functional, there can be numerous issues present below the surface that manifest at critical events or future dates. Ad hoc improvements can only buy time until a proper overall solution is developed and can often propagate a set of new issues within the system. We advocate for the elimination of technical debt while implementing a strategy of continuous and holistic system improvement. 

What should an audit include?

The value of the audit process is contained in the detailed findings, conclusions, and critical recommendations made to remediate identified system issues.

Enterprise Automation also develops a SCADA roadmap alongside clients to improve facilities comprehensively and allow them to reap all the benefits of the automation hardware and software packages they currently possess.

In a standardized audit process Enterprise Automation assesses the condition based on:

• Disaster recovery and prevention: based on factors such as the existence of backups, regular disaster response procedures and training of personnel, electrical panel wiring documentation, and electrical panel safety.
• Documentation and change management: tracking and documentation of SCADA changes and requests, inventory and asset management, adherence to and review of the master plan.
• Infrastructure: condition of electrical cabinets, aging status of hardware, redundancy
• Security: best practices for network segregation, firewalls, cultural analysis of the organization’s procedures, remote access authentication
• Software: is the software on the most current and supported version?
• System performance: evaluating process performance by measuring downtime and interruptions. Is the alarm notification set up properly? Are the reports reliable and easy to generate? How easy is the SCADA screen to use?

What next steps should you take after an audit?

Prioritize and categorize the findings based on severity and impact on operations, safety, and security. Some issues may be critical and in need of immediate attention while others can be addressed over time.

Find the right team to make these improvements. As an automation consultant and system integrator, Enterprise Automation provides support at every stage of the audit from analysis to prioritization to master planning and execution.

Find the right consultant.

Enterprise Automation is a trusted partner for all phases of control systems integration. As a company we have been recognized as a:

• AVEVA Endorsed System Integrator Partner
• Schneider Electric Master Alliance System Integrator
• PlantStruxure certified Alliance integration partner
• SCADA certified Alliance integration partner
• CSIA Certified
• Automation Alliance Group partner

Our team is well-equipped and qualified to advise clients. Our staff includes:

• Licensed engineers in California and Arizona
• Certified Project Management Professionals
• AVEVA Application Server, Historian Client, Historian Server, InTouch, Plant SCADA, and Reports certified professionals
• EcoStruxure Control Expert, EcoStruxure Plant, EcoStruxure Automation Expert, and EcoStruxure Process Expert certified professionals
• Rockwell Automation certified professionals
• Ignition certified professionals
• VTSCADA certified professionals
• TwinThread certified practitioners
• Water treatment and water distribution operator-certified professionals