SCADA & ICS Security Testing
Specialist security testing for SCADA systems and industrial control systems — PLC/RTU/IED device security, SCADA server assessment, industrial protocol analysis, HMI testing, and firmware analysis. Safety-first methodology with zero disruption to production processes.
Device · Infrastructure · Communication Layer
Three assessment scopes covering every layer of ICS security — from field device firmware through SCADA server infrastructure to industrial protocol and HMI communication layer security.
PLC / RTU / IED Device Security
Security assessment of programmable logic controllers (PLCs), remote terminal units (RTUs), and intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) — reviewing device hardening configuration, default credential exposure, firmware version currency, authentication implementation, and the security of engineering workstation connections used to program and maintain field devices.
- Default credential audit — vendor default username/password exposure
- Firmware version analysis and known CVE mapping
- Device hardening review (unused ports, services, protocols)
- Engineering workstation connection security assessment
- Physical port and interface security review
- Device authentication configuration assessment (where supported)
SCADA Server & Historian Security
Assessment of SCADA servers, historian servers, and data acquisition systems — reviewing OS hardening, patch posture, account management, and network exposure. These systems are the crown jewels of any ICS environment: compromise means an adversary has visibility of and potential control over your entire operational process.
- SCADA server OS hardening and patch posture review
- Historian server exposure and access control assessment
- SCADA application vulnerability assessment (web-based HMIs)
- Account management review — shared accounts, privileged access
- SCADA server network connectivity audit
- Antivirus and application whitelisting configuration review
Industrial Protocol & HMI Security
Assessment of industrial communication protocols and human-machine interfaces — reviewing protocol implementation security, HMI application vulnerability, and operator workstation hardening. HMIs running Windows XP/7 with decades-old SCADA applications represent some of the most difficult-to-patch but highest-impact attack surfaces in any industrial environment.
- Modbus TCP / DNP3 / IEC 61850 protocol security assessment
- Protocol authentication and integrity control review
- HMI application vulnerability assessment
- HMI operating system hardening (including legacy OS compensating controls)
- Historian data access control and authorisation review
- OPC-UA and OPC Classic security configuration assessment
The Adversaries Targeting Your ICS Are Not Script Kiddies
SCADA and ICS environments face a specific threat category with no parallel in enterprise IT: nation-state actors with the resources, patience, and mission to cause physical consequences. Stuxnet demonstrated a cyber weapon could destroy centrifuges. Industroyer/Crashoverride cut power to Kiev. Triton/TRISIS targeted Safety Instrumented Systems designed to prevent physical harm. These are documented capabilities of threat actors currently operating against industrial targets worldwide.
The common thread across major ICS incidents is the same: IT/OT convergence created a path that attackers exploited, and the ICS environment had insufficient visibility and detection capability to identify the intrusion before the physical impact occurred.
Written Safety Plan
Formal safety plan approved by engineering team before any assessment activity begins
540-Day Detection Gap
OT mean time to detect is 540 days — tripling the enterprise IT average
Nation-State Awareness
Stuxnet, Industroyer, Triton — we assess against documented ICS adversary capabilities
Testbed Protocol Testing
Deep protocol testing in isolated testbeds — never against live production control systems
5-Phase SCADA/ICS Assessment Methodology
From safety planning through passive discovery, offline configuration review, testbed protocol testing, and a consequence-mapped report with compliance gap analysis.
Scope Definition & Safety Planning
Every SCADA/ICS assessment begins with a detailed scope definition session involving your SCADA engineers, process engineers, and safety officers — documenting which systems can be assessed passively, which require offline testbed assessment, and which are entirely out of scope. A formal written safety plan is produced before any assessment activity begins.
Passive Network Discovery & Traffic Analysis
Using passive network taps and SPAN port capture — never active scanning — we enumerate OT assets, map communication relationships, identify insecure protocol usage, and discover unauthorised network connections. Results are validated against your asset inventory to identify shadow OT devices not tracked in your asset register.
Device & Configuration Assessment
Off-network assessment of device configurations, firmware versions, and SCADA application security — reviewing hardening against ICS-CERT advisories, vendor security guidance, and IEC 62443 security requirements. Firmware analysis is conducted offline against configuration backups or firmware images, never against production devices.
Vulnerability Analysis & Protocol Testing
Where safe to do so against isolated testbed environments, structured protocol testing assesses industrial communication security — Modbus command injection potential, DNP3 unauthorised command testing, OPC-UA authentication testing — with all activities documented and pre-approved through your engineering change control process.
Report with Consequence-Mapped Risk & Roadmap
A comprehensive SCADA/ICS assessment report with each finding mapped to a potential physical consequence scenario, prioritised by process impact severity. Includes NERC CIP compliance gap analysis, IEC 62443 Security Level gap analysis, NIST SP 800-82 findings, and a remediation roadmap respecting OT operational constraints and maintenance window scheduling.
End-to-End ICS Security Coverage
From field device firmware through SCADA infrastructure, industrial protocols, HMI systems, firmware vulnerabilities, and compliance framework alignment.
PLC / RTU Security
Firmware version analysis, default credential auditing, device hardening review, and engineering workstation connection security for field-level control devices that directly interface with physical processes.
SCADA Server Hardening
OS patch posture, account management, application vulnerability assessment, and network exposure review for the centralised control servers that aggregate field device data and provide operator control capability.
Industrial Protocol Analysis
Passive analysis of Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850, Profinet, EtherNet/IP, and OPC-UA communications — identifying unauthenticated command channels, plaintext protocols, and potential for command injection or replay attacks against field devices.
HMI & Operator Workstation
Human-machine interface application security, operator workstation OS hardening, removable media controls, application whitelisting, and historian access controls — including legacy Windows XP/7 compensating control recommendations.
Firmware Vulnerability Analysis
Offline analysis of PLC, RTU, and IED firmware against published ICS-CERT advisories, vendor security bulletins, and custom vulnerability research — identifying known exploitable vulnerabilities in your specific device versions.
NERC CIP / IEC 62443 Compliance
Gap analysis against NERC CIP v7 requirements (for applicable energy sector operators), IEC 62443 Security Level target assessment, and NIST SP 800-82 r3 control family mapping — aligned to regulatory requirements for your sector.
ICS Security Assessment That Understands Industrial Constraints
SCADA security assessment is not IT penetration testing with different targets. It requires fundamentally different methodology, tools, safety discipline, and industrial process knowledge.
ICS-Specialist Assessors
OT assessors with direct industrial environment experience — process knowledge, engineering change control discipline, and understanding of why 'patch it' is rarely a valid recommendation in an OT context with 24/7 availability requirements.
Zero Production Risk
We never perform active scanning against live production OT systems. Passive-only in production. Testbed-based for protocol testing. Offline for firmware analysis. We will not be the cause of a process outage.
Physical Consequence Focus
We rate findings by physical consequence — production shutdown, process disruption, safety system compromise — not CVSS score. This gives your operations leadership risk context that means something in an industrial environment.
Testbed-Based Protocol Testing
Where deep protocol testing is required, we work with vendors or your engineering team to establish a testbed mirroring production — allowing thorough technical testing without any risk to live operational processes.
ICS Security Platforms & Tools We Use
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about SCADA and ICS security testing
Secure Your Industrial Control Systems Before Adversaries Exploit Them
Nation-state actors and ransomware groups are actively targeting SCADA and ICS environments. Our safety-first assessment gives your organisation the visibility to understand and reduce your ICS risk — without disrupting the operational processes you depend on.
Get in Touch
Ready to secure your future? Reach out to us for a consultation.