Palestra: Management of Smart Water Systems - Operational and Security Aspects
Coord.: Prof. Dr. João Alexandre Paschoalin Filho (Universidade Nove de Julho)
P: Prof. Dr. Mashour Housh
Water distribution systems (WDSs) are critical infrastructures that supply drinking water from water sources to end-users. Smart WDSs could be designed by integrating physical components (e.g., valve and pumps) with computation and networking devices. As such, in smart WDSs, pumps and valves are automatically controlled together with continuous monitoring of important systems’ parameters. In these smart WDSs embedded devices monitor and control physical processes, usually in real-time, with a repeatable feedback loop between the physical and the cyber layers. Throughout the information technology (IT) era in the last few decades, more and more legacy infrastructures are being upgraded to Cyber Physical Systems (e.g., electric power, communications systems, and water systems). The sophisticated design of Cyber Physical Systems allows for the efficient operation of the system, which is manifested in lower operation costs and higher reliability. However, despite this advantage, these systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Sabotaging the WDS operation with cyber-attacks can trigger a disastrous effect on the security, economy, and even health of metropolitan areas, for example in the case of sabotaging a water treatment plant. In this presentation I will discuss some of the advantages and the cyber-risks associated with smart WDSs.
