Improving security of oil pipeline SCADA systems using service-oriented architectures

Abstract

Oil pipeline Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems monitor and help control pipes transporting both crude and refined petroleum products. Typical SCADA system architectures focus on centralized data collection and control – however, this system has vulnerabilities that decrease the overall security of the system, especially for an oil pipeline SCADA. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) helps to improve security of SCADA systems by providing more localized data collection and control. In this paper we describe an SOA-based architecture for oil pipeline SCADA system that provides improved security compared to traditional architectures. An SOA-based SCADA divides the entire length of the pipeline system into zones where services offered within a zone are controlled by the zone master and masters periodically batch-update the central database over the back-bone network. The feasibility is explored by mathematical analysis and emulation.