The ever-evolving landscape of cloud computing presents useful opportunities for businesses to streamline operations and improve efficiency. One such advancement is the rise of cloud-hosted solutions that offer an alternative to traditional on-premise infrastructure.
A platform like one web hosting offers all the tools you need to manage your business, from website creation to personalized emails for a strong online presence.
However, for industrial control and automation needs, you must consider Cloud-hosted SCADA to handle more complex industrial operations.
In this piece, we delve into Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and explore the key considerations organizations should address before migrating their SCADA systems to the cloud.
Understanding Cloud-hosted SCADA
Cloud-hosted supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) plays an important role in industrial automation, monitoring and controlling various processes across diverse industries, from manufacturing and power generation to water treatment and building automation.
It’s crucial to understand that migrating SCADA systems to the cloud is more than just a change of location. It’s a systematic process that transforms how systems are managed, secured, accessed, and connected as they become linked to the internet.
Why Consider Cloud-Hosted SCADA?
Traditionally, SCADA systems have been deployed on-premise, requiring dedicated hardware and software infrastructure within an organization’s physical location. Cloud hosting offers a compelling alternative, potentially bringing several benefits:
Flexibility and Resilience for Your Infrastructure
Flexibility is one of the common benefits introduced when migrating to the cloud. It allows organizations to easily adjust resources (storage, processing power) as their needs evolve.
One web hosting, for instance, gives you different plans to choose from, allowing you to adopt new technologies and solutions.
For industrial-based operations, cloud services can greatly increase the resilience of your overall architecture through DDoS protection, automated scaling and failovers, backup solutions, and integrated disaster recovery measures.
Cost-Effectiveness, Accessibility, and Security
Cloud hosting eliminates the upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining dedicated hardware, and this move may reduce overall IT expenses.
Another thing that will be introduced in cloud migration is software-defined networking (SDN) which allows you to easily define how virtual networks can communicate with each other. Cloud-hosted SCADA systems can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, enhancing remote monitoring and management capabilities.
Cloud providers often invest in robust security measures to offer a more secure environment compared to your on-premise setups.
Key Considerations Before Migration
Before making the leap to cloud-hosted SCADA, organizations should carefully evaluate the following factors:
Security
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been closely monitoring the migration of industrial applications to the cloud and has published new guidance on cloud-hosted SCADA with cyber security as a key consideration.
SCADA systems are the backbone of critical national infrastructure (CNI) as they oversee the operation of physical assets. These systems are constantly exposed to cyber threats, as highlighted in the NCSC’s 2023 Annual Review.
Given the increasing sophistication of these attacks, cybersecurity must be a top priority for organizations managing CNI and other cyber-physical systems. The transition to cloud-based SCADA introduces additional complexities that require careful consideration.
Ensuring the security and integrity of SCADA data is paramount, which means vetting the cloud provider’s security practices and compliance certifications.
Organizational Readiness
Beyond the technical aspects, organizations should also consider the impact of cloud migration on existing workflows, employee training needs, and potential integration challenges with existing infrastructure.
The question becomes: does your organization have the skills, people, and policies to support a shift to the cloud?
Reliability, Latency, and Compliance
Uninterrupted operation is critical for SCADA systems. Always investigate the cloud provider’s uptime guarantees and disaster recovery plans before migration. Real-time data acquisition and control are also key elements in SCADA systems.
Assess the potential impact of network latency on system performance to determine whether your current technology is suited for migration.
Above all, compliance should be prioritized before taking a leap towards cloud-hosted SCADA. Aim to verify that the cloud provider can meet necessary data residency and security standards.
Cloud-hosted SCADA should be the next big step for organizations looking to modernize their industrial automation systems.