What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess whether human-computer interaction and usability issues in security controls contribute to the frequent internet exposure and misconfiguration of programmable logic controllers.

September 30, 2024Open Access

Usability Study of Security Features in Programmable Logic Controllers

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Authors

KLKaren LiUniversity of Bristol KRKopo M. RamokapaneUniversity of Bristol ARAwais RashidBristol Robotics Laboratory

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Implication

Task-based usability evaluation uncovers interface barriers in programmable logic controllers, highlighting the need for modernized industrial security controls.

Key Points

To assess whether human-computer interaction and usability issues in security controls contribute to the frequent internet exposure and misconfiguration of programmable logic controllers.
Conducted a task-based usability study followed by semi-structured interviews with participants (N=19).
Evaluated participant interactions with PLC connection settings and two primary security controls: access levels and user administration.
Unfamiliar labeling, confusing interface layouts, and misleading terminology significantly increased the difficulty of setting up security mechanisms.
Participants exhibited widespread misperceptions of security functions, driven by operational constraints such as strict safety requirements and long lifecycles that prevent regular software updates.

Cite This Study

Li et al. (2024) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0da983cecdf5fb20ba896e https://doi.org/10.1145/3688459.3688471

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Implication

Task-based usability evaluation uncovers interface barriers in programmable logic controllers, highlighting the need for modernized industrial security controls.

Usability Study of Security Features in Programmable Logic Controllers

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Usability Study of Security Features in Programmable Logic Controllers

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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