Cyber Security Management for Utility Operations

Strong identity management enforced with digital authentication mechanisms has become the leading requirement to improve cyber security for utility operations. Utility operators don’t really care how it works as long as they are confident that it does work. They want a solution that is standards-based, is interoperable with the commonly installed applications, and is extendable for legacy systems to lower the cost of ownership. General recommendations for a cryptographically-based cyber security solution are well defined in the American Gas Association’s Report No. 12, Part 1, and commercial products are now available to implement these requirements. This paper presents, from a utility operator’s point of view, the requirements to securely manage the keying material to protect SCADA communications and to access the maintenance ports of field devices. This paper also outlines areas of future investigation needed for a comprehensive solution.