SCADA/ICS testing must be planned to avoid operational impact, using controlled methods, clear authorization, and safe scoping before any intrusive activity.
Security testing in SCADA/ICS environments cannot be treated like routine IT penetration testing because scanning, exploitation, or misconfigured tooling can destabilize fragile devices or interrupt critical processes. A safe approach starts with approvals, defined boundaries, and coordination with operations and vendors.
Testing should follow principles that match the environment: prioritize documentation review, architecture validation, and configuration checks, then move to carefully selected technical tests. When intrusive testing is required, it should be scheduled in appropriate windows and executed with rollback plans and safety controls.
Effective testing also includes quality reporting: what was tested, what was found, what the operational risk is, and what remediation sequence is practical for production ICS.
Testing is a program, not a one-time event. If you don't define scope, success criteria, and a repeatable cadence, results will be ad hoc and remediation will stall.
“In SCADA, a good test is one that improves security without creating outages.”
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Recording and reporting create traceability for risk decisions and enable monitoring and review. They also support communication and consultation so stakeholders can act on consistent information.
ISO 31000 supports decision-making by providing a structured way to understand uncertainty, prioritize risks, and select treatment options based on defined criteria.
Risk-based scoping prioritizes the assets and attack paths with the highest potential impact and defines clear rules of engagement to test them safely and legally.
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