Guest Editorial: Configuration Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems

The papers in this special section focus on configuration security for industrial automation and control systems. These systems include supervisory control and data acquisition systems, distributed control systems, and other control system configurations such as programmable logic controllers, which are typically used in industries such as electric, water and wastewater, oil and natural gas, transportation, chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and discrete manufacturing, examples of which are automotive, aerospace, and durable goods. These systems are highly interconnected and mutually dependent in complex ways, both physically and through information and communications technologies, and they support a diverse set of services for the management of critical infrastructure by making use of a wide variety of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for sensing and actuation. These papers highlight the main research challenges and solutions for improving configuration security in the context of industrial automation and control systems by taking into consideration various challenges faced by industrial applications.