- CAP
Summary
CAP question
Which of the following practices will not necessarily enhance login security for process control system software?
A. Use a firewall as a gatekeeper between the network system and the Internet and set up a system to automatically install software upgrades.
B. Use alphanumeric passwords with at least one capital letter if the protection system is case-sensitive.
C. Change passwords regularly.
D. Assign a user access level commensurate with job function.
CAP Answer
The correct answer is A, "Use a firewall as a gatekeeper between the network system and the Internet and set up a system to automatically install software upgrades". Answers B, C, and D all describe ways to enhance login security for process control system software through application of best practices: password complexity, user access level management, and aging of passwords.
Allowing automatic software updates through a firewall between the control network and the Internet is not a good security practice. Software updates should be initiated from within the control system network after being fully tested and vetted in a nonproduction environment that is representative of the control network. This prevents critical automation systems from being shut down or halted erroneously.
Reference: Sands, Nicholas P. & Verhappen, Ian, A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge, Third Edition, ISA Press, 2018.
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