Question

SCADA. First, what are Air Gapped Systems? And when it comes to access control what has become a vulnerability for Air Gapped Systems?

Answer 1

Answer:

Air Gapped Systems:

An air-gapped system is isolated from unsecured networks, meaning that it is not directly connected to the internet, nor is it connected to any other system that is connected to the internet. A true air gapped computer is also physically isolated, meaning data can only be passed to it physically (via USB, removable media or a firewire with another machine).

And when it comes to access control what has become a vulnerability for Air Gapped Systems?

Although it may seem that an air-gapped system is safe from external attacks, there can still be instances where even a disconnected computer can be targeted. Physical access, such as from inserting a USB drive, is the simplest and most straightforward way to infect an air-gapped computer. However, most disconnected systems will also be largely secure, meaning it will take special circumstances—and most certainly an insider—to infect it. However, an attacker does not have to be physically present to infect an air-gapped computer, as they can also first infect a system connected to the organization’s network, possibly through an accessible USB port. Once the targeted victim uses a USB drive on the infected system and then uses it to transfer data to the air-gapped system, the malware will then be able to move and infect it.

Attackers can even use simple worms that spread via removable drives to infect an air-gapped computer. Compromising an air-gapped system could allow an attacker to steal data from the system via data exfiltration.