Strengthening Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems: Innovations in Protecting PLC-Based Infrastructure

Conference · Sun Oct 29 04:00:00 EDT 2023 · 2023 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/ecce53617.2023.10362100· OSTI ID:2427414

Huang, Peng-Hao ^[1]; Ibrahim, Hasan ^[1]; Kim, Jaewon ^[1]; Enjeti, Prasad ^[1]; Kumar, P. R. ^[1]; Rajendran, J. V. ^[1]

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1. Texas A&M University,Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering,College Station,TX,77845

In this paper, we propose two new approaches aimed at enhancing the security of industrial control systems (ICS) that utilize programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for the control of critical processes. The first approach involves the addition of a unique digital watermark to the PWM control that adjusts the motor speed to control the critical process. This enables efficient detection and identification of any unauthorized modifications to the sensor signals responsible for controlling the plant. The second approach focuses on monitoring the input current (i.e power) drawn by the PLC during the execution of critical process control tasks. Malicious intrusions to change the PLC parameters and/or unauthorized firmware updates can be rapidly detected. Both approaches demonstrate a substantial improvement in the security of ICS, effectively safeguarding against potential cyber-attacks. Experimental results from a laboratory scale water tank level controlled via PLC showcases rapid intrusion detection capabilities.

• Research Organization: Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: EE0009031
• OSTI ID: 2427414
• Conference Information: Journal Name: 2023 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English