Infected Laptop Infects SCADA Network

Event Year: 2004 Reliability: Likely But Unconfirmed
Country: United Kingdom
Industry Type: Food & Beverage
Description:

A contracting company attached a laptop to a SCADA system running a pilot plant. After a while, the SCADA started exhibiting strange behaviours and upon investigation it was discovered that the server was infected. There was no anti-virus on the laptop and when it was scanned it was discovered it was infected by a large number of viruses.

Impact:

The pilot plant had to be shutdown until the problem was resolved.

Action Description: All laptops are scanned for viruses before being allowed to connect to the system. Some sites went further and banned external laptops from being connected and requested that all files be sent via email and scanned through the email and file systems before being loaded onto the SCADA system.