WO2011124256A1 - Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site - Google Patents

Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2011124256A1
WO2011124256A1 PCT/EP2010/054658 EP2010054658W WO2011124256A1 WO 2011124256 A1 WO2011124256 A1 WO 2011124256A1 EP 2010054658 W EP2010054658 W EP 2010054658W WO 2011124256 A1 WO2011124256 A1 WO 2011124256A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
ied
maintenance operations
memory device
perform
mobile memory
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2010/054658
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Simon Richards
Anas Benhaddou
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
UK Grid Solutions Ltd
Original Assignee
Areva T&D UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Areva T&D UK Ltd filed Critical Areva T&D UK Ltd
Priority to PCT/EP2010/054658 priority Critical patent/WO2011124256A1/en
Publication of WO2011124256A1 publication Critical patent/WO2011124256A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F21/30—Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
    • G06F21/31—User authentication
    • G06F21/34—User authentication involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/10—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for controlling access to devices or network resources
    • H04L63/102—Entity profiles
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
    • G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
    • G05B2219/20—Pc systems
    • G05B2219/24—Pc safety
    • G05B2219/24154—Password with time limited access to system, protect protocol
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S40/00—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
    • Y04S40/20—Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Definitions

  • the invention pertains to the field of industrial process control, and more specifically, and concerns a method to ensure safe access to a critical devices connected to an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) in an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical devices, wherein only a few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations.
  • IED Intelligent Electronic Devices
  • the invention also concerns architecture for managing safe access to a critical device connected to an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) in an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical devices, wherein only a few pre- designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations...
  • IED Intelligent Electronic Devices
  • the term "industrial site” is used generically here, to include any utility or industrial station or substation, which houses electricity supply plant .
  • Intelligent electronic devices are installed in electrical substations of electrical power systems, typically in an electricity generation, transmission, distribution, industrial or transport system. Their purpose is to measure, protect, control and monitor the system to which they are connected.
  • AAA Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical local network (LAN) 2 comprising a critical device 4 and a user station 6 locally connected to the LAN 2, a security server AAA 8 with local connection to the LAN 2.
  • a security server AAA 10 may be remotely connected to the LAN 2 through a public network 12 such as Internet.
  • Mechanical keyswitches are a physical item that can be activated, then the key extracted and either kept on the person of the authorised individual, or in a safe "lock-off" box. This can ensure that the IED return to normal operation is only possible when the key itself has been replaced and turned first.
  • a mechanical key is not conducive to advances in IED technology, such as reductions in physical size.
  • remote access to the security servers may be impractical or impossible.
  • one of the reasons to seek IED access may be due to a failure or anomaly in the remote control interface, so a purely local means for an operator to authenticate is highly preferable.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide an authorized person with means to put the equipment in a "safe" operational state during the maintenance operations until completion of the work.
  • the aim of the invention is achieved by means of a method to ensure safe access to a critical Intelligent Electronic Device connected to an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED, wherein only few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations.
  • the method according to the invention comprises the step of providing the pre-designated persons with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations.
  • the method comprises the steps of:
  • the Intelligent Electronic Device checks whether or not said pre-designated persons are authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations ,
  • the Intelligent Electronic Device allows said pre-designated persons to perform said maintenance operations , - else, said pre-designated persons are not authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations .
  • the pre-designated person who instigated the maintenance has exclusive control over when the IED can be reverted to normal service.
  • the authorization data are managed by an administrator device capable to download said authorization data for a specific pre-designated person onto said mobile memory device.
  • said IED whilst the mobile memory device is connected to the IED, said IED periodically requests refreshment of said authorization data.
  • the mobile memory device is configured to spontaneously transfer said authorization data to the IED upon connection of said mobile memory device to said IED.
  • the authorization data transferred from the mobile memory device to the IED may be persistent and non-volatile .
  • the method according to the invention further comprises a restriction configuration according to which the administrator device may revoke permanently or temporarily the authorization of interaction between the mobile memory device and the IED, and may restrict the number of IEDs to which access rights are authorised.
  • the mobile memory device may be a USB stick, a mobile phone or a PDA.
  • the method according to the invention is implemented by means of an architecture for ensuring safe access to a critical IED connected to an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED, wherein only a few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations .
  • said architecture comprises means for providing the pre- designated persons with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations
  • Said architecture further comprises:
  • Said architecture further comprises means for transferring authorisation data from the mobile memory device to the IED upon physical connection of said mobile memory device to said IED and means for periodically checking the pre-designated person authorisation data.
  • the architecture comprises means for retaining the credentials of who placed an IED in its secure condition, means for persisting the IED' s residence in a secure test or maintenance mode, and means for ensuring exclusivity of the reversal of the secure mode, such that the return to normal service remains at the behest of the original initiator of the work .
  • a mobile memory device which has remained inserted in the Intelligent Electronic Device during the maintenance work, or a mobile memory device which has been later inserted on completion of the work can be used to ascertain that the return to normal service can be permitted.
  • a senior individual within an organisation may exceptionally take charge of the return to normal operation, for example in the event of loss of a memory device, staff absence, or staff shift changes.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a typical network (LAN) with local/remote connections
  • figure 2 schematically illustrates a functional architecture in which the method according to the invention is implemented
  • FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the primary steps of the method according to the invention.
  • the administrator may be located in the industrial site 24 or in remote premises connected to said industrial site 24 via a secure communication link .
  • Each pre-designated person 22 is provided with a user station 6 ( Figure 1) comprising a reception device for receiving from the administrator authorization data comprising a definition of the specific maintenance operations to perform in the critical IED 4, and with personal mobile memory device 26 capable of communicating with said user station 6 to recover the authorization data.
  • the user station 6 may be a laptop and the personal mobile memory device 26 may be a USB memory stick, for example.
  • the pre-designated person 22 stores in the mobile memory device 26 the authorization data received by the laptop from the manager 20 and connects said mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 for transferring said data to the IED 30.
  • the IED 4 is configured to communicate with said laptop via a secure Wi-Fi link or a secure Bluetooth link in order to recover the authorization data transmitted to the laptop by the manager 20.
  • the IED 4 is placed in a secure mode .
  • the administrator 20 designates a person or a group of persons 22 for this purpose by allocating authorization data to said person or group of persons. To do so, the administrator associates an identifier of each designated person 22 with said authorization data in an appropriate data set and transmits the data set through a secure link to the user stations 6 of the designated persons. Each designated person 22 stores the received data set in its personal mobile memory device 26. Before starting the maintenance operations, each designated person 22 connects its mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 (step 40) to transfer said authorization data to said IED 4.
  • the IED 4 transmits said authorization data to the security server AAA 8 (figure 1) for verification.
  • the IED 4 is placed in a secure mode to allow said designated persons 22 to do maintenance operations .
  • the authorized persons 22 access the IED 4 or to associated electrical plant to perform maintenance operations.
  • the authorized persons 22 who accessed the IED 4 re-connect (step 48) the mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 in order to transmit to said IED 4 a command intended to put back the IED 4 in a normal state.
  • the IED 4 transmits said command to the security server AAA 8 to verify that the command comes from the the authorized persons 22 who accessed to the IED 4.
  • step 50 After the verification of step 50, only if the command is initiated by the authorized persons 22, the IED 4 returns to the normal state at step 52.
  • the authorized persons 22 may remove the mobile memory device 26 from the IED 4 and may keep it (step 62) in a private or secure place to prohibit non-authorized person from placing the IED 4 in a normal state while the designated persons are still performing maintenance operations .
  • step 64 Only the authorized persons 22 may re ⁇ connect (step 64) the mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 to transmit to said IED 4 a command intended to put back the IED 4 in a normal state.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Software Systems (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

The invention concerns a method to ensure safe access to a critical Intelligent Electronic Device (4) connected to an industrial site (24) to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED (4), wherein only few pre-designated persons (22) are allowed to perform said maintenance operations. The method according to the invention comprises the step of providing the pre-designated persons (22) with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED (4) in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED (4) in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations.

Description

METHOD FOR ENSURING SAFE ACCESS TO AN INDUSTRIAL SITE
TECHNICAL DOMAIN
The invention pertains to the field of industrial process control, and more specifically, and concerns a method to ensure safe access to a critical devices connected to an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) in an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical devices, wherein only a few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations.
The invention also concerns architecture for managing safe access to a critical device connected to an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) in an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical devices, wherein only a few pre- designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations...
The term "industrial site" is used generically here, to include any utility or industrial station or substation, which houses electricity supply plant .
STATE OF PRIOR ART
Intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are installed in electrical substations of electrical power systems, typically in an electricity generation, transmission, distribution, industrial or transport system. Their purpose is to measure, protect, control and monitor the system to which they are connected.
Today's IEDs are sophisticated software processing devices, and often each performs multiple functions concurrently. In order to interface with the IEDs for configuration, setting, control, testing and interrogation purposes, a few pre-designated individuals need to gain access to the industrial site to perform specific maintenance operations.
In safety-critical applications, for example maintenance switching operations, it can be necessary for a suitably trained and authorised individual to prepare a safe environment within the industrial site to perform maintenance operations. As the location of the work is in or around low, medium or high voltage electrical apparatus, it may be necessary to temporarily disable or enhance some of the IED functionality, possibly to include:
- preventing close or open operations for the circuit breaker (s) associated with the apparatus,
- switching circuit breaker automatic reclosing functionality out of service,
- enabling faster or enhanced fault protection capability to limit the duration and energy of faults near staff as they perform their work, and/or
- Remove remote control capabilities to avoid distant control personnel operating the local apparatus .
In each case there is a need to verify that the individual concerned is authorised to make the change (authentication and authorisation, hereinafter abbreviated as "AA"), to log that change, and then when the temporary condition is required to be reset, to ensure that a suitably authorised individual can return the IED back to its normal operational state. The Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting (AAA) of users' access to critical devices within the system is often performed by a specific security server AAA which provides these AAA services to all critical devices in the system. Typically the security server AAA is present on the same local area network as the devices that use it, but may also be located remotely from these devices and may be accessed through gateways and routers to a communications infrastructure connected to the process control system' s LAN .
Figure 1, schematically illustrates a typical local network (LAN) 2 comprising a critical device 4 and a user station 6 locally connected to the LAN 2, a security server AAA 8 with local connection to the LAN 2. A security server AAA 10 may be remotely connected to the LAN 2 through a public network 12 such as Internet.
Known techniques of prior art by which user authentication or access control can be attempted in IEDs are:
• Restricting access to the substation only to specified authorised personnel,
• Requiring the entering of passwords, · Use of a removable mechanical key switch,
• Requiring a remote control operator to take action to lift any barring of access, typically after a telephone call.
When access to the substation is not only restricted to specifically-authorised personnel, it can no longer be assumed that those who are permitted to enter the substation are by default deemed capable to work safely on, in or around substation IEDs . Thus, an additional level of authentication of the user's role is required, to ensure that he/she is permitted to undertake certain interactions with the IED.
Passwording is commonplace, but passwords are often assigned to a group of individuals, and then become widely known due to staff turnover. Consequently, security is then jeopardised.
Mechanical keyswitches are a physical item that can be activated, then the key extracted and either kept on the person of the authorised individual, or in a safe "lock-off" box. This can ensure that the IED return to normal operation is only possible when the key itself has been replaced and turned first. However, a mechanical key is not conducive to advances in IED technology, such as reductions in physical size.
In some conditions, remote access to the security servers may be impractical or impossible. In this situation, one of the reasons to seek IED access may be due to a failure or anomaly in the remote control interface, so a purely local means for an operator to authenticate is highly preferable.
An object of the present invention is to provide an authorized person with means to put the equipment in a "safe" operational state during the maintenance operations until completion of the work.
PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the invention is achieved by means of a method to ensure safe access to a critical Intelligent Electronic Device connected to an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED, wherein only few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations.
said method characterized by
The method according to the invention comprises the step of providing the pre-designated persons with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of:
storing said authorization data in a mobile memory device,
and, before performing said maintenance operations ,
- said pre-designated persons physically connect the mobile memory device to the Intelligent Electronic Device (4) in order to be authenticated,
- the Intelligent Electronic Device checks whether or not said pre-designated persons are authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations ,
if said pre-designated persons are authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations, the Intelligent Electronic Device allows said pre-designated persons to perform said maintenance operations , - else, said pre-designated persons are not authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations .
Thanks to the invention, once placed in maintenance mode, the pre-designated person who instigated the maintenance has exclusive control over when the IED can be reverted to normal service.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the authorization data are managed by an administrator device capable to download said authorization data for a specific pre-designated person onto said mobile memory device.
According to another aspect of the invention, whilst the mobile memory device is connected to the IED, said IED periodically requests refreshment of said authorization data.
In a first variant of the invention, the mobile memory device is configured to spontaneously transfer said authorization data to the IED upon connection of said mobile memory device to said IED.
The authorization data transferred from the mobile memory device to the IED may be persistent and non-volatile .
In the method according to the invention, full control of the persistence of the secure condition is vested with a specific pre-designated person who instigated the Intelligent Electronic Device placement in secure mode.
The method according to the invention further comprises a restriction configuration according to which the administrator device may revoke permanently or temporarily the authorization of interaction between the mobile memory device and the IED, and may restrict the number of IEDs to which access rights are authorised.
The mobile memory device may be a USB stick, a mobile phone or a PDA.
The method according to the invention is implemented by means of an architecture for ensuring safe access to a critical IED connected to an industrial site to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED, wherein only a few pre-designated persons are allowed to perform said maintenance operations .
According to the invention, said architecture comprises means for providing the pre- designated persons with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations
Said architecture further comprises:
- means for storing said authorization data in a mobile memory device,
- means for allowing said pre-designated persons to perform said maintenance operations only if said pre-designated persons are actually authorised to perform said specific maintenance operations,
- means for putting the IED in a secure mode for safety of personnel, the public, and equipment, during the course of the maintenance work. Said architecture further comprises means for transferring authorisation data from the mobile memory device to the IED upon physical connection of said mobile memory device to said IED and means for periodically checking the pre-designated person authorisation data.
Preferably, the architecture comprises means for retaining the credentials of who placed an IED in its secure condition, means for persisting the IED' s residence in a secure test or maintenance mode, and means for ensuring exclusivity of the reversal of the secure mode, such that the return to normal service remains at the behest of the original initiator of the work .
In the architecture according to the invention, a mobile memory device which has remained inserted in the Intelligent Electronic Device during the maintenance work, or a mobile memory device which has been later inserted on completion of the work can be used to ascertain that the return to normal service can be permitted.
In another embodiment of the invention, a senior individual within an organisation may exceptionally take charge of the return to normal operation, for example in the event of loss of a memory device, staff absence, or staff shift changes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
The forgoing summary, as well as the following detailed description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended figures illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the invention in which:
- figure 1 schematically illustrates a typical network (LAN) with local/remote connections,
figure 2 schematically illustrates a functional architecture in which the method according to the invention is implemented,
- Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the primary steps of the method according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A DETAILED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to figure 2, an administrator
20 manages the population of pre-designated persons 22 that may be allowed to perform maintenance operations of a critical IED 4 (figure 1) located at an industrial site 24.
The administrator may be located in the industrial site 24 or in remote premises connected to said industrial site 24 via a secure communication link .
Each pre-designated person 22 is provided with a user station 6 (Figure 1) comprising a reception device for receiving from the administrator authorization data comprising a definition of the specific maintenance operations to perform in the critical IED 4, and with personal mobile memory device 26 capable of communicating with said user station 6 to recover the authorization data. The user station 6 may be a laptop and the personal mobile memory device 26 may be a USB memory stick, for example.
In a first embodiment, the pre-designated person 22 stores in the mobile memory device 26 the authorization data received by the laptop from the manager 20 and connects said mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 for transferring said data to the IED 30.
In a second embodiment, the IED 4 is configured to communicate with said laptop via a secure Wi-Fi link or a secure Bluetooth link in order to recover the authorization data transmitted to the laptop by the manager 20.
In both embodiments, after verification of the authorization data, the IED 4 is placed in a secure mode .
The steps of the first embodiment of the methods according to the invention will be described by reference to figure 3.
When a specific maintenance operation concerning a critical IED 4 must be performed in the industrial site 24, the administrator 20 designates a person or a group of persons 22 for this purpose by allocating authorization data to said person or group of persons. To do so, the administrator associates an identifier of each designated person 22 with said authorization data in an appropriate data set and transmits the data set through a secure link to the user stations 6 of the designated persons. Each designated person 22 stores the received data set in its personal mobile memory device 26. Before starting the maintenance operations, each designated person 22 connects its mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 (step 40) to transfer said authorization data to said IED 4.
At step 42, the IED 4 transmits said authorization data to the security server AAA 8 (figure 1) for verification.
At step 44, if the designated persons 22 are authenticated, the IED 4 is placed in a secure mode to allow said designated persons 22 to do maintenance operations .
At step 46, the authorized persons 22 access the IED 4 or to associated electrical plant to perform maintenance operations. At the end of said maintenance operations, the authorized persons 22 who accessed the IED 4 re-connect (step 48) the mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 in order to transmit to said IED 4 a command intended to put back the IED 4 in a normal state.
At step 50, the IED 4 transmits said command to the security server AAA 8 to verify that the command comes from the the authorized persons 22 who accessed to the IED 4.
After the verification of step 50, only if the command is initiated by the authorized persons 22, the IED 4 returns to the normal state at step 52.
Optionally, after step 44, the authorized persons 22 may remove the mobile memory device 26 from the IED 4 and may keep it (step 62) in a private or secure place to prohibit non-authorized person from placing the IED 4 in a normal state while the designated persons are still performing maintenance operations .
Only the authorized persons 22 may re¬ connect (step 64) the mobile memory device 26 to the IED 4 to transmit to said IED 4 a command intended to put back the IED 4 in a normal state.
Thanks to the invention, only the authorized persons designated by the administrator 20 have an exclusive responsibility for the time when to put the device in a secure mode and for the time when to put it back to a normal state.

Claims

1. A method to ensure safe access to a critical Intelligent Electronic Device (4) connected to an industrial site (24) to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED (4), wherein only few pre-designated persons (22) are allowed to perform said maintenance operations, said method characterized by providing the pre-designated persons (22) with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED (4) in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED (4) in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
storing said authorization data in a mobile memory device (26),
and, before performing said maintenance operations ,
said pre-designated persons (22) physically connect the mobile memory device (26) to the Intelligent Electronic Device (4) in order to be authenticated,
the Intelligent Electronic Device (4) checks whether or not said pre-designated persons (22) are authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations,
- if said pre-designated persons (22) are authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations, the Intelligent Electronic Device (4) allows said pre-designated persons (22) to perform said maintenance operations,
else, said pre-designated persons (22) are not authorized to perform said specific maintenance operations .
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the authorization data are managed by an administrator device (20) capable to download said authorization data for a specific pre-designated person (22) onto said mobile memory device (26) .
4. A method according to claim 2, wherein, whilst the mobile memory device (26) is connected to the IED (4), said IED (4) periodically requests refreshment of said authorization data.
5. A method according to claim 2, wherein the mobile memory device (26) is configured to spontaneously transfer said authorization data to the IED (4) upon connection of said mobile memory device (26) to said IED (4) .
6. A method according to claim 2, wherein full control of the persistence of the secure condition is vested with a specific pre-designated person (22) who instigated the IED (4) placement in secure mode.
7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising a restriction configuration according to which the administrator device (20) may revoke permanently or temporarily the authorization of interaction between the mobile memory device (26) and the IED (4), and may restrict the number of IEDs (4) to which access rights are authorised.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile memory device (26) is a USB stick.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile memory device (26) is mobile phone Or a PDA (personal Digital Assistant) .
10. An architecture for ensuring safe access to a critical IED (4) connected to an industrial site (24) to perform maintenance operations of said critical IED (4), wherein only a few pre-designated persons (22) are allowed to perform said maintenance operations, said architecture characterized by:
-means for providing the pre-designated persons (22) with exclusive authorisation data to maintain the IED (4) in a secure mode for safety of personnel during the maintenance operations and to put the IED (4) in its normal operational state after completion of said maintenance operations
11. An architecture according to claim 10 further comprising:
- means for storing said authorization data in a mobile memory device (26),
means for allowing said pre-designated persons (22) to perform said maintenance operations only if said pre-designated persons (22) are actually authorised to perform said specific maintenance operations ,
- means for putting the IED (4) in a secure mode for safety of personnel, the public, and equipment, during the course of the maintenance work.
12. An architecture according to claim 11 further comprising means for transferring authorisation data from the mobile memory device (26) to the IED (4) upon physical connection of said mobile memory device (26) to said IED (4) .
13. An architecture according to claim 12 comprising means for periodically checking the pre- designated person authorisation data.
14. An architecture according to claim 12 comprising means for retaining the credentials of who placed an IED (4) in its secure condition.
15. An architecture according to claim 12 comprising means for persisting the IED' s residence in a secure test or maintenance mode.
16. An architecture according to claim 12 comprising means for ensuring exclusivity of the reversal of the secure mode, such that the return to normal service remains at the behest of the original initiator of the maintenance work.
PCT/EP2010/054658 2010-04-08 2010-04-08 Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site Ceased WO2011124256A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2010/054658 WO2011124256A1 (en) 2010-04-08 2010-04-08 Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2010/054658 WO2011124256A1 (en) 2010-04-08 2010-04-08 Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011124256A1 true WO2011124256A1 (en) 2011-10-13

Family

ID=42732764

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2010/054658 Ceased WO2011124256A1 (en) 2010-04-08 2010-04-08 Method for ensuring safe access to an industrial site

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2011124256A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3391586A4 (en) * 2015-12-16 2019-08-14 Trilliant Networks, Inc. METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE TERMINAL SECURITY

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2037651A1 (en) * 2007-09-12 2009-03-18 ABB Technology AG Method and system for accessing devices in a secure manner

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2037651A1 (en) * 2007-09-12 2009-03-18 ABB Technology AG Method and system for accessing devices in a secure manner

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
MARTIN NAEDELE ED - ANONYMOUS: "An Access Control Protocol for Embedded Devices", INDUSTRIAL INFORMATICS, 2006 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON, IEEE, PI, 1 August 2006 (2006-08-01), pages 565 - 569, XP031003414, ISBN: 978-0-7803-9700-2 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3391586A4 (en) * 2015-12-16 2019-08-14 Trilliant Networks, Inc. METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PORTABLE TERMINAL SECURITY

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
Sayed et al. Electric vehicle attack impact on power grid operation
Khan et al. STRIDE-based threat modeling for cyber-physical systems
US8918639B2 (en) Smarter leveraging of the power grid to substantially improve security of distributed systems via a control plane data communication network over the smart power grid
Cleveland Iec tc57 wg15: Iec 62351 security standards for the power system information infrastructure
US10380815B2 (en) Transient asset management systems and methods
CN106789015B (en) Intelligent power distribution network communication safety system
CN104504796B (en) A kind of machine room intelligent gate inhibition open method and open system based on wireless network
US10404714B1 (en) Policy-managed physical access authentication
US9922476B2 (en) Local access control system management using domain information updates
WO2016007332A1 (en) Physical access control authentication
EP2186298A1 (en) Method and system for accessing devices in a secure manner
CN109103986A (en) Substation's remote operation safety protecting method and system
Chikuni et al. Investigating the security of electrical power systems SCADA
KR101594765B1 (en) PLC control system in Automibile painting process and Operating Method thereof
Chan et al. Der communication networks and their security issues
Liu et al. Cyber–physical system security of distribution systems
CN102333068B (en) SSH and SFTP (Secure Shell and Ssh File Transfer Protocol)-based tunnel intelligent management and control system and method
KR102018064B1 (en) Secure communication apparatus and method for securing SCADA communication network
CN103491054A (en) SAM access system
CN112448960B (en) Internal network computer network management and control system using face recognition technology
Barnes et al. National SCADA test bed substation automation evaluation report
CN101783730B (en) Terminal network device and method and system for controlling access to administrator account thereof
KR20170093429A (en) Power Control System for Urgent Situation
Keller et al. Experimental system for supply chain cyber-security of distribution switch controls
Zhuang et al. Research on informatization construction of electric power communication network under smart grid

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 10713626

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

DPE1 Request for preliminary examination filed after expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101)
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 10713626

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1