Operational Safety

Did your boss or the people above him say you can? Otherwise no.

Because some office weenie might mess with the valves.

No.

The reward does not justify the risk.

Buy an office computer! Don't be so cheap.

Yes, it's fine, you can use it all you want. Especially for looking at porn sites! Good luck!

I'd say it depends on what the functions of the "Plant Maintenance Computer" are, and how many machines it is used to maintain. If you only have a dozen machines and it's only used for record-keeping, chances are it's grossly underused and (provided it's fully backed up), there would be no safety issue in using it for general office duties. Only you can call it (because only you have the information).

How did your request for information on how to, "produce a procedure for operational technology security" go?

Computers are cheap. Buy another one!

No. It is suicide to allow your plant maintenance computer(s) to be used for personal business especially if it were to become attached to the internet.

The exposure risk of the plant maintenance computer becoming infected by a virus or other malware would be very high.

If any malware were to gain access to the plant maintenance computer operating system, you will lose all plant control and records until the system has been dumped, all drives cleaned and reloaded.

The risk is high and the cost in lost production and/or equipment damage as well as possible personnel injury or death will be unforgiving.

Reading your question could mean several things. If you are going to buy a new maintenance computer and give the old computer to the office personnel go for it.

If office management is behind this. Using it for duel purposes. The saving made by replacing them(the decision maker) could buy everyone a new computer. Bean counters looking to save a buck. If this computer is networked with your production machinery. One screw up by office staff or a virus could cost in production allot more then a new computer.

Even getting your IT guy to put all the bells and whistles in place to reduce it from happening could cost more then a new computer.

Sometimes it is part of one procedure. Especially with mainframe industrial computers that have only substations and no PC's.

The simple answer is "NO"!!!!

A computer designated as a "Plant maintenance" computer or a dedicated SCADA terminal should never be used as a dual use PC. My reasons are as follows!

1. System security. Only trained persons should have access to a SCADA PC.
2. System availability. Do you really want to have to fight your co-workers for the computer when you need to make process changes and they want to update their FACEBOOK status?
3. System stability. A PC being used for typical office tasks is not the best place for regular software and SCADA software to reside. Install some new software I.E. iTunes for example and crash your process computer. Not a good idea!
4. System integrity. If the computer is used as an office terminal then you know it will be connected to the internet and untrained users will be downloading everything from video to music to porn and the things I just mentioned are a breeding ground for viruses and mal-ware.

Please make sure to reference me on your homework, you don't want to be accused of plagiarism!

Good Luck