The revised secure authentication protocols (SA version 5), contained in the IEEE 1815 distributed network protocol (DNP3) standard, are expected to improve overall security for data information gathering, exchange, and use in applications like industrial control systems, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
IEEE explained that the SA version 5 revisions, which are being jointly developed by IEEE and the DNP Users Group, are intended to strengthen the standard’s ability to determine whether access to data and internal systems has been authorized.
"By delivering robust security protocols that are attuned to both existing and emerging threats, SA version 5 will help minimize risk while ensuring the continued efficient and safe operation of vital infrastructures", said H. Lee Smith, chair of the IEEE 1815 Working Group and president of the DNP Users Group.
The IEEE 1815 DNP3 standard is a multilayered framework for achieving greater device interoperability that is widely used in the process automation industry, according to the association. The standard is also used in a growing number of smart grid deployments by improving interactions and secure two-way communications between diverse systems and devices.
"Disruptive innovations like the smart grid hold vast potential for significantly improving the quality of life for millions of people around the world. Preserving and advancing these nascent technologies requires the adoption of proactive strategies to solve security challenges at their inception, rather than after the fact", said Judy Gorman, managing director of IEEE-SA.
Formal IEEE balloting for these revisions is expected to begin in January, with the revised protocols being rolled into IEEE 1815 for publication in 2012. SA version 5 will have a staggered rollout, beginning with the DNP community in November 2011, followed by IEEE users in January 2012, and will be incorporated into the published version of IEEE 1815 in 2012. It will be available to the public from the DNP Users Group members via the group's website.