SCADA Apologist or SCADA Realist

Sep 20, 2017

Eric and I had gone at in a series of blogs on whether he was a SCADA Apologist or SCADA Realist. I coined the term SCADA Apologist as someone who:

1. Is highly knowledgeable in ICS and ICS security, often a well recognized expert.
2. Knows the ICS systems, devices and protocols are highly insecure. They are insecure by design and loaded with easily found and exploitable bugs.
3. And then says nothing can be done about this for many years or decades.

Eric responded with a series of blog posts that my position was unrealistic and unhelpful. Despite the spirited written debate, we are good friends, and thought it would be useful to have this argument in a debate format on the S4x14 stage.

Michael Toecker moderates the debate and their are questions from the audience. 

I can't say for certain that my SCADA Apologist and other rants instigated change, although I like to think they raised awareness and played a role. The good news is that in 2017 we are finally seeing the insecure by design issue addressed, and now the argument is when these more secure systems will get into the field. So the "it will take decades" forces are still out there.