In today’s industrial landscape, the security of SCADA systems is more crucial than ever. Digital certificates play a central role in this security, but managing them can be complex and a source of many challenges for integrators and customers. According to a 2023 study, around 70% of industrial companies have suffered security incidents linked to poor certificate management, resulting in costly downtime and security breaches. Ineffective certificate management can lead to security breaches, unplanned downtime and reduced productivity. This article explores the challenges faced by industry professionals and presents innovative SCADA solutions for optimised certificate management.
The difficulties of developing SCADA applications
The complexity of certificate management
What is a certificate? A digital certificate is an electronic file that links a cryptographic key to a specific identity, such as an organisation or an individual. It contains information such as the name of the entity, a public key and the expiry date, and is digitally signed by a certification authority (CA) to guarantee its authenticity. Digital certificates are used to secure online communications by encrypting data and authenticating the parties involved in a transaction or communication.
Managing certificates in SCADA application environments is often seen as a major challenge. Integrators and customers are faced with several major obstacles that can compromise the security and efficiency of their systems. Firstly, the complexity of certificate management is a recurring problem. Teams often have to navigate a landscape of diverse certificates, each with its own expiry dates and renewal requirements. According to a recent study, almost 60% of industrial companies have experienced problems with certificate management, leading to costly downtime and security breaches. On average, an industrial company manages between 500 and 1000 certificates at any one time, making the task particularly challenging.
Limited knowledge of certificates in real time
Secondly, limited knowledge of certificates in real time poses an additional challenge. Teams need to have complete visibility of the status of their certificates to avoid unpleasant surprises. Ineffective management can result in expired or invalid certificates, which can compromise the security of communications and devices in an industrial network. A survey revealed that 45% of companies have experienced service interruptions due to expired certificates, resulting in financial losses estimated at several million euros per year.
Responsiveness to change
Finally, responsiveness to change is another major challenge. Teams need to be able to react quickly to changes in their SCADA environment, such as adding new devices or updating existing certificates. Ineffective certificate management can lead to delays in implementing these changes, affecting productivity and the overall security of the network architecture. According to one report, companies that take more than 24 hours to respond to a certificate change see their risk of a security breach increase by 30%.
Towards optimised certificate management with Panorama
To meet these challenges, external tools are now available to simplify and secure certificate management. It is in this context that the new version of Panorama stands out, by natively integrating these mechanisms.
Panorama integrates two distinct tools to industrialise and centralise certificate management in a SCADA application: a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and a Certificate Validity Monitoring.
Integration of a public key infrastructure (PKI)
One of the key solutions proposed by Panorama is the implementation of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) directly into SCADA systems. This PKI is available in two systems:
- Network Configuration and Security Assistant: installed on Panorama machines, it can be used to generate private keys and CSRs (Certificate Signing Requests), and to import signed certificates.
- A keymanager: installed on on the Certificate Authority (CA) machine, it creates this CA, signs CSRs from Panorama machines and manages the certificate pool, in particular by revoking them.
Checking the validity of certificates
Another essential tool offered by Panorama is the certificate validity monitoring. This mechanism, present in the administration tool (PanoAdmin), enables the validity of certificates to be periodically checked, verifying expiry dates and the content of certificates. Notifications can be sent in the event of a problem, enabling teams to react quickly and maintain the security of their systems.
Enhanced SCADA applications
Benefits of optimised certificate management
Optimised certificate management offers significant benefits for industrial SCADA systems. It contributes to the overall security of the network architecture, reduces downtime and improves responsiveness to changes. By adopting innovative certificate management solutions, integrators and customers can not only simplify certificate management, but also enhance the security of their SCADA applications.
Panorama: a key partner
Panorama is an essential partner for secure and efficient industrial SCADA. By adopting the new version of Panorama, integrators and customers can guarantee optimized certificate management, turning a complex challenge into a strategic asset.
Certificate management is a major challenge for SCADA professionals, but innovative solutions exist to turn it into a strategic asset. Panorama, with its integrated tools and systematic approach, offers a complete solution for optimised certificate management of its SCADA application. By adopting Panorama, teams can ensure secure and efficient SCADA, ready to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
