ISC2 CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)Asset SecurityMedium
A manufacturing company uses several Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems to manage its industrial processes. These systems generate vast amounts of operational data, which is critical for real-time monitoring and historical analysis. The PRIMARY concern for this operational data is its continuous availability and integrity, as any disruption could lead to production halts and safety risks. Which asset security principle is paramount for this SCADA operational data?
- AAvailability
- BNon-repudiation
- CIntegrity
- DConfidentiality
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Availability
For SCADA systems, the continuous operation of industrial processes is paramount. This directly translates to the 'Availability' of the operational data and the systems themselves. While integrity is also vital (ensuring data is accurate), the scenario emphasizes 'continuous availability' and the risk of 'production halts', making availability the primary concern. Integrity ensures the data is correct, but availability ensures it's always there.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Non-repudiation ensures actions cannot be denied, which is less critical than the continuous uptime and correctness of data in this context.
- C. Integrity is crucial for SCADA data (ensuring correctness), but the scenario highlights 'continuous availability' and 'production halts' as the *primary* concern.
- D. Confidentiality, while important for some SCADA data, is not the *primary* concern when considering production halts and real-time monitoring.
Availability (CIA Triad)
The principle that information and systems must be accessible and usable by authorized users when needed, ensuring continuous operation.
- Crucial for real-time systems, operational technology (OT), and critical infrastructure.
- Threats include DDoS, power outages, hardware failures.
- Achieved through redundancy, backups, disaster recovery, and fault tolerance.
Memory trick: SCADA's life is always live, Integrity keeps it real.