ICS (INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEM)
ICS (INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEM)
Industrial control systems are IT systems dedicated to the management and control of industrial equipment. They are generally hosted on networks that are separate from traditional (or 'office') IT networks. ICSs have become an integral part of the information systems security landscape (and debates!), as they are often critical targets that have traditionally been poorly protected because they are old and, until recently, rarely connected to other networks. However, when they are, vulnerabilities in these systems can enable attackers to take control, neutralise or sabotage whole swathes of vital industries. Fortunately, more recent systems take greater account of cyber security.
In the past, some unhappy glossaries have suggested that the acronym ICS stands for "Impossible to Secure Correctly". But they have since been defaced (see "Defacing").
