Industrial Control System (ICS)
Industrial Control System (ICS): General term that encompasses several types of control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)…
Definition
General term that encompasses several types of control systems, including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and other control system configurations such as programmable logic controllers (PLC) often found in the industrial sectors and critical infrastructures. An ICS consists of combinations of control components (e.g., electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic) that act together to achieve an industrial objective (e.g., manufacturing, transportation of matter or energy).
Alternative Definitions
- Definition 2
An information system, both hardware and software, specifically designed to control indus- trial processes such as manufacturing, product handling, production, and distribution.
- Definition 3
An information system used to control industrial processes such as manufacturing, product handling, production, and distribution or to control infrastructure assets.
- Definition 4
An information system used to control industrial processes such as manufacturing, product handling, production, and distribution. Industrial control systems include supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) used to control geographically dispersed assets, as well as distributed control systems (DCS) and smaller control systems using programmable logic controllers to control localized processes. (SP 800-53; SP 800-53A; SP 800-39; SP 800-30) (NISTIR)