Other References and Auxiliary Stuff

Detailed Documentation for Softwares and Protocols Used

• Docker Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/
• OpenPLC Runtime & Editor: https://autonomylogic.com/
• OPC UA Specifications: https://www.opcfoundation.org/about/opc-technologies/opc-ua/
• Modbus Protocol: https://modbus.org/
• Siemens S7 Protocol: https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document/109746613

Research Papers

• OPC UA Security
• PLC Network Security
• OpenPLC for Cyber Attack (Case Studies) on Smart Substation Systems
• Digital Twin Based Cyber Attack Detection Framework for Cyber Physical Manufacturing Systems
• Evaluation of OPC UA Secure Communication in Web Browser Applications
• Investigating the Security of OpenPLC Vulnerabilities Attacks and Mitigation Solutions
• On PLC Network Security
• OpenPLC based control system testbed for PLC whitelisting system
• OPC UA Based on Electronic Device Description
• Research on OPC UA Security
• Security Challenges in Industry 4.0
• MITM Attack Research Paper
• ARP and ARP Cache Poisoning

Articles & Documents

• Detailed blog on OPC UA Protocol Cyber Threats
• Docker networking explained
• Rogue Certificate
• Idea behind SSL Certificate
• Structure of OPC UA message
• Publisher Subscriber model for OPC UA
• Stuxnet - Real life worm attack on Iran Nuclear Base by USA
• OPC UA (OPC Day) Based Communication (PubSub & Server-Client)
• DEFCON 2025 - S7 Communication Breaking
• Understanding Linux real-time with PREEMPT_RT training

Data Visualisation and Logging Software

• Prometheus - Open source metrics and monitoring for your systems and services
• Grafana - Monitoring system (seems to be advanced and famous)
• Kibana

GitHub Links

Primary Usage

• AsyncIO Library for OPC UA
  • Installed using pip. Command: pip install asyncua or pip3 install asyncua
• OpenPLC v3 Library
• OPC UA GUI Based Client
  • Installed using pip. Command: pip install opcua-client or pip3 install opcua-client

    OPC UA Libraries

• C# Language Based Library
• Python Language Based Library - this is what we are using in the project
  • A few of the examples are not working for the given repository.
  • The structure of the code is not correct for some updated libraries like UTC time etc.
• C Language Based Library
• Java Based Library

  Future Prospects

• Emulates exploits and attacks on OPC UA based systems
• Reinforcement Learning Based Attacker and Defender system on IT Infrastructure | (Previous Intern developments based on CSLE: link)

  Auxilliary/Derived Libraries

• Runs OPC UA emulation on 2 Raspberry Pi - Rudimentary
• Docker container for OpenPLC Server
• Previous Documentation by Ashutosh on Notion
• OPCUA as a base communication protocol - not supported

Tools Used | Explore them

• Wireshark: For network traffic analysis during attack simulations.
• Metasploit: For simulating cyberattacks.
• Ghidra: For analyzing and debugging security vulnerabilities in the system.

Glossary

• MITM (Man-in-the-Middle): An attack where an attacker intercepts and potentially alters communication between two parties.
• OPC UA: Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture, a protocol used for secure data exchange in industrial control systems.
• PLC: Programmable Logic Controller, used in industrial automation for controlling machines and processes.