SCADA Cyber Incident Response Playbook (CISA-Approved)

The SCADA Cyber Incident Response Playbook serves as a field-deployable framework for organizations operating supervisory control and data acquisition systems—commonly found in critical infrastructure sectors including energy, water/wastewater, transportation, and manufacturing. Unlike general-purpose IT incident response plans, it explicitly addresses OT-specific challenges such as legacy protocols (e.g., Modbus, DNP3), air-gapped or segmented networks, deterministic timing requirements, and the high consequence of unplanned downtime or unsafe process states. The playbook structures response into four phases—Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity—with integrated checklists, decision trees, and communication templates designed for cross-functional teams (e.g., control room operators, system integrators, cybersecurity analysts, and regulatory liaisons). Crucially, it incorporates CISA’s validated playbooks for common SCADA threats—including PLC memory corruption, HMI credential compromise, and malicious RTU firmware updates—and mandates integration with asset inventories, network diagrams, and baseline behavioral profiles to support rapid forensic triage without disrupting operational continuity.