Automated Collection

Adversaries may automate collection of industrial environment information using tools or scripts. This automated collection may leverage native control protocols and tools available in the control systems environment. For example, the OPC protocol may be used to enumerate and gather information. Access to a system or interface with these native protocols may allow collection and enumeration of other attached, communicating servers and devices.

ID: T0802
Sub-techniques:  No sub-techniques
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Tactic: Collection
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Platforms: Embedded, Linux, Windows
Version: 1.1
Created: 21 May 2020
Last Modified: 13 October 2026

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0093 Backdoor.Oldrea

Using OPC, a component of Backdoor.Oldrea gathers any details about connected devices and sends them back to the C2 for the attackers to analyze. [1]

S0604 Industroyer

Industroyer automatically collects protocol object data to learn about control devices in the environment. [2]

S1072 Industroyer2

Industroyer2 leverages a hardcoded list of remote-station IP addresses to iteratively initiate communications and collect information across multiple priority IEC-104 priority levels.[3]

Targeted Assets

ID Asset
A0007 Control Server
A0006 Data Historian
A0017 Distributed Control System (DCS) Controller
A0018 Programmable Automation Controller (PAC)
A0003 Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M0807 Network Allowlists

Utilize network allowlists to restrict unnecessary connections to network devices (e.g., comm servers, serial to ethernet converters) and services, especially in cases when devices have limits on the number of simultaneous sessions they support.

M0930 Network Segmentation

Prevent unauthorized systems from accessing control servers or field devices containing industrial information, especially services used for common automation protocols (e.g., DNP3, OPC).

Detection Strategy

ID Name Analytic ID Analytic Description
DET0734 Detection of Automated Collection AN1867

Real-time network monitoring identifies a source issuing systematic, sequential Industrial Control System (ICS) protocol reads sweeping the full register/address range across multiple field devices within a short time window, from a source not in the approved control server list. OT operational-fidelity gate: Do not alert on novelty, scan/read volume, or enumeration alone. Alert when the source role is not authorized for discovery/polling and the target scope, address/tag range, protocol, or rate deviates from the established operational baseline. Suppress normal SCADA/HMI/historian polling, commissioning, asset inventory, backup, diagnostics, and approved engineering activity.

AN2128

Real-time monitoring identifies a scripting interpreter process iterating through Industrial Control System (ICS) data sources and writing output to a local file or piping to a network socket, by a User Identifier (UID) not associated with documented automation scripts. OT operational-fidelity gate: Do not alert on novelty, scan/read volume, or enumeration alone. Alert when the source role is not authorized for discovery/polling and the target scope, address/tag range, protocol, or rate deviates from the established operational baseline. Suppress normal SCADA/HMI/historian polling, commissioning, asset inventory, backup, diagnostics, and approved engineering activity.

AN2270

Real-time monitoring identifies a host process making sequential Industrial Control System (ICS) protocol reads with output piped to a local staging file, from a process not associated with a recognized Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or historian tool. OT operational-fidelity gate: Do not alert on novelty, scan/read volume, or enumeration alone. Alert when the source role is not authorized for discovery/polling and the target scope, address/tag range, protocol, or rate deviates from the established operational baseline. Suppress normal SCADA/HMI/historian polling, commissioning, asset inventory, backup, diagnostics, and approved engineering activity.

References