SCADA Security for NC Manufacturers: Protecting Industrial Control Systems

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) security for North Carolina manufacturers requires addressing legacy vulnerabilities in industrial control systems that were never designed for network connectivity. With CISA publishing over 450 ICS advisories in 2025 alone and a 40% rise in internet-exposed industrial devices, manufacturing facilities across the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte, and Research Triangle face growing threats to their operational technology environments.

Key takeaway: According to CISA ICS advisory data analyzed by SOCRadar, critical manufacturing and energy remain the most impacted sectors, with 29 known exploited vulnerabilities affecting industrial control systems from major vendors including Siemens (accounting for 55% of exploited CVEs), Rockwell Automation, and Schneider Electric.

North Carolina's 467,325 manufacturing workers depend on reliable industrial control systems for safe operations. Whether your facility operates in High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, or anywhere in North Carolina, SCADA systems controlling production lines, HVAC, water treatment, or material handling represent both critical infrastructure and significant cyber risk.

Concerned about your SCADA security posture? Preferred Data Corporation provides specialized OT/IT security assessments for North Carolina manufacturers. Call (336) 886-3282 or schedule your assessment.

Understanding SCADA Vulnerabilities in Manufacturing

The Air Gap Myth

Many North Carolina manufacturers still believe their SCADA systems are "air-gapped" from the internet and corporate networks. In reality, this assumption is dangerously outdated. Modern manufacturing requires data exchange between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) environments for:

Production reporting and analytics
Remote monitoring and maintenance
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration
Supply chain coordination
Predictive maintenance systems

Even systems that appear isolated often have hidden connections through shared networks, USB drives, vendor remote access, or wireless access points installed for convenience.

Default Credentials and Weak Authentication

Industrial control systems historically relied on physical security rather than authentication. Many PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA servers still operate with:

Factory-default usernames and passwords
No authentication requirements at all
Shared operator accounts with no individual accountability
Unencrypted communication protocols
No session timeout or lockout mechanisms

Legacy Protocols Without Security

Older industrial protocols were designed for reliability and real-time performance, not security. Protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, and OPC Classic transmit data in cleartext without authentication, encryption, or integrity checking. Any device on the network can read or modify commands.

According to CISA's industrial control systems advisory program, input-validation and memory-safety weaknesses dominate, with improper validation, out-of-bounds access, and buffer overflows underpinning many of the highest-risk vulnerabilities in modern ICS products.

Common Attack Vectors for Manufacturing SCADA

Attackers target employees with corporate email access who also have connections to OT environments. A compromised workstation on the corporate network can provide a pathway into inadequately segmented SCADA systems.

Vector 2: Remote Access Exploitation

Vendor remote access connections represent one of the largest attack surfaces. VPN concentrators, remote desktop sessions, and third-party support tools create pathways that attackers can exploit, particularly when these connections use weak or shared credentials.

Vector 3: Supply Chain Compromise

Compromised software updates, infected USB drives from maintenance vendors, and malicious firmware can bypass even well-designed network security. The Piedmont Triad's concentration of interconnected manufacturers creates supply chain risk that extends beyond individual facilities.

Vector 4: Insider Threats

Disgruntled employees, contractors with excessive access, and social engineering victims can all provide attackers with access to SCADA systems. The lack of individual authentication on many ICS platforms makes insider activity difficult to detect or attribute.

Vector 5: Exposed Internet-Facing Devices

The 40% rise in internet-exposed ICS devices between 2024 and 2025 demonstrates that many organizations are inadvertently connecting industrial systems to the internet through misconfigured routers, cellular modems, or cloud connectivity platforms.

Protection Strategies for NC Manufacturers

Strategy 1: Network Segmentation and Zones

Implement the Purdue Model or IEC 62443 zone architecture to create security layers between IT and OT environments:

Level 5 (Enterprise): Corporate IT, email, internet access
Level 4 (Site Business): Production planning, MES
Level 3.5 (DMZ): Firewalls, data diodes, jump servers
Level 3 (Site Operations): SCADA servers, historians
Level 2 (Area Control): HMI, engineering workstations
Level 1 (Basic Control): PLCs, RTUs, controllers
Level 0 (Process): Sensors, actuators, field devices

Each level should have defined access controls, with traffic between levels monitored and restricted to required communications only.

Preferred Data Insight: For High Point and Greensboro manufacturers, we typically implement network segmentation using industrial-grade firewalls between IT and OT zones, with monitoring at the DMZ layer. This approach provides visibility without disrupting production operations.

Strategy 2: Continuous OT Monitoring

Deploy passive monitoring solutions that observe network traffic without impacting real-time operations:

Asset discovery and inventory of all connected devices
Baseline normal communication patterns
Alert on anomalous traffic or unauthorized connections
Log all access attempts and protocol violations
Monitor for known vulnerability exploits

Passive monitoring is essential in manufacturing environments where active scanning can disrupt sensitive real-time control processes.

Strategy 3: Secure Remote Access

Replace ad-hoc vendor access with controlled remote access solutions:

[ ] Implement jump servers or privileged access management (PAM) for all remote sessions
[ ] Require multi-factor authentication for remote access
[ ] Record and audit all remote sessions
[ ] Limit remote access to specific systems and time windows
[ ] Eliminate persistent VPN connections in favor of on-demand access
[ ] Maintain an approved vendor list with individual credentials

Strategy 4: Patch Management for ICS

Industrial patch management requires a different approach than IT patching:

Maintain a current inventory of all ICS assets with firmware versions
Monitor CISA ICS advisories and vendor security bulletins
Assess patches in a test environment before production deployment
Schedule patches during planned maintenance windows
Implement compensating controls when patches cannot be applied immediately
Document all patching decisions and risk acceptances

According to CISA's ICS advisory program, organizations should limit network exposure for control system devices and ensure they are not directly accessible from the internet.

Strategy 5: Access Control and Authentication

Implement layered access controls appropriate for industrial environments:

Individual user accounts for all operators and administrators
Role-based access limiting capabilities to job requirements
Physical access controls for control rooms and network closets
USB port restrictions on HMI and engineering workstations
Removal or disabling of unnecessary services and ports

Incident Response for SCADA Environments

Building an OT-Specific Incident Response Plan

Manufacturing environments require incident response procedures that prioritize safety and production continuity:

Safety first: Ensure personnel safety before any investigation activities
Isolate affected systems: Disconnect compromised segments without shutting down safe operations
Preserve evidence: Capture network traffic and system logs before any remediation
Assess impact: Determine which production processes are affected
Engage specialists: Contact ICS security experts and potentially law enforcement
Controlled recovery: Restore systems from known-good configurations
Post-incident review: Document lessons learned and improve defenses

Tabletop Exercise Scenarios

North Carolina manufacturers should test their OT incident response with scenarios including:

Ransomware spreading from corporate IT to the SCADA network
Unauthorized modification of PLC programming
Denial of service against the historian or SCADA server
Compromised vendor remote access session
Physical intrusion into the control room

Regulatory and Compliance Considerations

NIST Cybersecurity Framework for Manufacturing

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides a structured approach to OT security that aligns with manufacturing operations. North Carolina manufacturers should map their SCADA security controls to the framework's five functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

IEC 62443 Industrial Security Standard

IEC 62443 provides specific guidance for industrial automation and control system security. For manufacturers in the Piedmont Triad, Charlotte, and Raleigh areas seeking formal compliance, this standard provides a maturity model from Security Level 1 (basic protection) through Security Level 4 (protection against sophisticated attacks).

CISA Resources for Manufacturers

CISA offers free resources specifically for manufacturing organizations:

ICS-CERT advisories and vulnerability notifications
Assessment services for critical infrastructure
Training resources for OT security teams
Incident reporting and coordination

Building an OT Security Program

Phase 1: Visibility (Months 1-3)

[ ] Complete asset inventory of all OT devices
[ ] Map network architecture and communication flows
[ ] Identify all external connections to the OT environment
[ ] Document current security controls and gaps
[ ] Assess compliance requirements

Phase 2: Protection (Months 4-8)

[ ] Implement network segmentation between IT and OT
[ ] Deploy passive monitoring solution
[ ] Establish secure remote access procedures
[ ] Implement access controls and authentication
[ ] Begin vulnerability management program

Phase 3: Maturation (Months 9-12+)

[ ] Develop and test OT incident response plan
[ ] Implement advanced threat detection
[ ] Establish ongoing security assessment schedule
[ ] Train operations staff on security awareness
[ ] Integrate OT security into enterprise risk management

How Preferred Data Protects NC Manufacturing Operations

With 37 years serving North Carolina's manufacturing sector and a BBB A+ rating, Preferred Data Corporation provides specialized OT/IT security services designed for industrial environments. Our team understands the unique requirements of manufacturing operations in High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Durham, and throughout the Piedmont Triad.

Our SCADA security services include:

OT network assessment and architecture review
Network segmentation design and implementation
Passive monitoring deployment for ICS environments
Secure remote access configuration
Incident response planning for manufacturing
Managed security monitoring for combined IT/OT environments
Compliance gap assessments (NIST CSF, IEC 62443)

Protect your manufacturing operations. Call (336) 886-3282 or contact us online to schedule your SCADA security assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are SCADA systems really at risk if they are not connected to the internet?

Yes. Even systems without direct internet connections face risks from USB drives, vendor laptops, wireless access points, and compromised corporate networks that bridge into OT environments. The concept of a true air gap is rarely achieved in modern manufacturing, and assuming isolation provides a false sense of security.

How can manufacturers patch SCADA systems without disrupting production?

OT patching requires careful planning around maintenance windows, testing in non-production environments when possible, and implementing compensating controls (network segmentation, monitoring) for systems that cannot be immediately patched. A risk-based approach prioritizes critical vulnerabilities while maintaining production uptime.

What is the cost of implementing SCADA security for a mid-size NC manufacturer?

Initial SCADA security implementation for a mid-size manufacturer (100-500 employees) typically ranges from $50,000 to $200,000, covering network segmentation, monitoring deployment, and access control improvements. Ongoing managed security monitoring adds $3,000-$8,000 monthly, which is significantly less than the cost of a single production-disrupting cyber incident.

How does SCADA security relate to CMMC compliance for defense contractors?

Defense contractors with manufacturing operations must protect SCADA systems if they process or store Controlled Unclassified Information. NIST 800-171 controls for network segmentation, access control, and monitoring apply to OT environments that handle CUI, making SCADA security an integral part of CMMC compliance.

What should manufacturers do if they suspect their SCADA system has been compromised?

Immediately activate your incident response plan, prioritizing personnel safety. Isolate affected network segments without shutting down safe production systems. Preserve network logs and contact your managed security provider or ICS security specialist. Report the incident to CISA at 1-888-282-0870, as they provide free incident response support for critical infrastructure.