ICS/SCADA Protocols ICSSCADA Practice Questions (Page 4)

Questions 16–20

1. 16expert · hard

   A control system engineer is designing a new wind farm SCADA network. The turbines use a proprietary protocol for internal control, but the SCADA master needs to aggregate data from all turbines. The engineer must choose a protocol for the SCADA master-to-turbine communication. The requirements are: (1) support for both polling and unsolicited reporting, (2) ability to operate over long-distance Ethernet links, and (3) built-in time synchronization for event logging. Which protocol should the engineer select?

   • AEtherNet/IP
   • BDNP3
   • CModbus TCP
   • DOPC UA
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
2. 17application · medium

   A security analyst is reviewing a capture of OPC UA traffic and notices that the client and server are communicating without establishing a secure channel. The analyst also sees that the server is accepting connections from any client without requiring a certificate. What is the most significant risk?

   • AThe server is using an outdated protocol version that is incompatible with modern clients.
   • BAn attacker could intercept and modify data because the traffic is unencrypted and unauthenticated.
   • CThe server is broadcasting its data to all clients on the network.
   • DThe client is sending too many requests, causing a denial of service.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
4. 18application · medium

   A SCADA engineer is evaluating whether to use a standard IT protocol like HTTP or an ICS-specific protocol like Modbus for communication between a control room HMI and a remote PLC. The primary requirement is deterministic, low-latency data exchange with minimal protocol overhead. Which protocol characteristic should guide the decision?

   • AIT protocols provide better security features such as encryption and authentication
   • BICS protocols are easier to integrate with enterprise IT systems
   • CICS protocols are designed for real-time, deterministic communication with minimal overhead
   • DIT protocols are more reliable over long distances
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
5. 19application · medium

   A manufacturing plant is upgrading its control network from a legacy serial fieldbus to Ethernet. The process requires deterministic response times for critical interlocks. Which protocol characteristic is most important to preserve in the new design?

   • AGuaranteed maximum latency for time-critical messages.
   • BCompatibility with standard office network switches and routers.
   • CSupport for dynamic IP address assignment to all field devices.
   • DAbility to route traffic through multiple hops across a wide area network.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
6. 20foundation · easy

   In an industrial control system, what is the primary role of ICS/SCADA protocols?

   • ATo provide encryption and authentication for all industrial data exchanges
   • BTo maximize data throughput for large file transfers between enterprise servers
   • CTo replace standard IT protocols like TCP/IP in all industrial networks
   • DTo provide reliable and deterministic communication between field devices, controllers, and supervisory systems
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first