Security decisions built around operations
OT, ICS & SCADA Security Assessments
Can a vendor connection or business-network account reach your control systems? GDF assesses OT, ICS and SCADA architecture, access and recovery so operators can prioritize improvements around the process they protect.
Understand the process and the access paths
Control-system security connects technology to operating consequence. We begin with the production process, important assets, dependencies, safety functions and availability requirements. That context determines the evidence to review and the methods appropriate to the engagement.
GDF works with operations, engineering and security staff to examine architecture, vendor support, asset visibility, segmentation, monitoring and recovery. The assessment identifies practical changes and the teams responsible for carrying them out.
Vendor remote access and IT/OT boundaries
We trace how employees, administrators and external support providers reach operational assets. The review covers authentication, access approvals, jump systems, permissions, session records and revocation procedures.
An example assessment question is whether a support account can reach only its assigned equipment and whether the organization can review that activity. Another is whether a business-network incident has a path into a control zone. We compare the intended boundary with configuration evidence and approved validation.
Explore network segmentation validation for a focused boundary review.
Plan your SCADA security assessment
Tell us which facilities, control systems and vendor connections are in scope. We will discuss methods and access with your operations team before scheduling the assessment.
Asset visibility and coordinated validation
Architecture diagrams, asset inventories, configuration records and passive observation establish the starting picture. We review normal communications and identify the systems, protocols and dependencies relevant to the security question.
Engineering and operations approve any active validation, timing and stop conditions. Legacy equipment is assessed in its operating context, with attention to access restrictions, monitoring, segmentation and recovery options. OT asset discovery can provide a focused starting point.
Monitoring, evidence and recovery readiness
We assess the logs and records available to explain an incident: remote sessions, authentication, firewall events, engineering changes and relevant monitoring data. Time synchronization and preservation procedures help connect events across the environment.
Recovery review covers configuration baselines, backups, restoration records, spares and change approvals. The objective is an actionable account of how the organization can restore the affected process and validate the recovered state.
See OT incident response for active events. The NIST Guide to OT Security describes security considerations that account for OT performance, reliability and safety requirements.
One assessment, two useful reporting levels
Leadership receives the operating consequences, priorities and decisions in a concise summary. Engineering receives the affected assets, access paths, supporting evidence, recommended changes and a validation plan.
- Current-state architecture and trust relationships.
- Prioritized findings tied to the process and exposure.
- A remediation sequence coordinated with operating requirements.
- Executive and engineering briefings.
- Defined retesting for the changes made.
Prepare for the first conversation
Describe the facility or process, relevant control systems, available diagrams, vendor access and planned maintenance windows. Identify the operations and engineering contacts who can explain the environment and approve the work.
We can scope a particular access path, a plant or facility assessment, or a coordinated review across several sites. Find your regional engagement hub to discuss collection and scheduling across the locations involved.
Evidence reviewed
- Control-system diagrams and asset records
- Remote access and segmentation configurations
- Monitoring, backup and recovery records
What you receive
- Architecture and access-path findings
- Operational priorities and engineering recommendations
- Remediation sequence and validation plan
Frequently asked
Common questions
Can you assess SCADA systems while operations continue?
We coordinate the assessment around the operating process and approved methods. Documentation review, interviews and passive observation establish the baseline; engineering approves the scope and timing of active validation.
Can you evaluate third-party remote access?
Yes. We examine vendor accounts, authentication, permissions, connection paths, approval procedures and session records, then document findings and practical control improvements.
Do you work with legacy control equipment?
Yes. We assess legacy equipment in context, including segmentation, controlled access, monitoring, backups and recovery options appropriate to the operating environment.
Can you assess multiple facilities?
Yes. We define the common controls and site-specific dependencies, coordinate with each operating team and organize the findings for both local remediation and leadership decisions.
What will the report tell us to do next?
The report prioritizes the findings, explains the operating consequence, identifies the relevant technical evidence and sets out remediation and validation steps.
Plan an assessment around operations
Find regional collection and engagement information or meet the forensic team. Ask about the collection method and report format that fit your matter.
Plan your SCADA security assessment
Call to discuss your next step and arrange secure information sharing.
A finding your operations team can act on
An illustrative assessment might identify a vendor connection with access beyond the equipment it supports. The report maps that path, records the affected controls and sets out a staged access change and validation plan with operations. This is an example of the report format, not a client case study.