Protecting accelerator control systems in the face of sophisticated cyber attacks

Cyber security for industrial control systems has received significant attention inthe past two years. The news coverage of the Stuxnet attack, believed to be targeted at thecontrol system for a uranium enrichment plant, brought the issue to the attention of newsmedia and policy makers. This has led to increased scrutiny of control systems for criticalinfrastructure such as power generation and distribution, and industrial systems such aschemical plants and petroleum refineries. The past two years have also seen targetednetwork attacks aimed at corporate and government entities including US Department ofEnergy National Laboratories. Both of these developments have potential repercussions forthe control systems of particle accelerators. The need to balance risks from potentialattacks with the operational needs of an accelerator present a unique challenge for thesystem architecture and access model.