• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Thales Unveils DNP3 Protocol Functionality for Its Security Solution for SCADA Networks

Posted on: Monday, 22 May 2006, 12:00 CDT

At the UTC Telecom Conference 2006 today, Thales unveiled new functionality for its pioneering Datacryptor(R) Select Application (SA) SCADA security solution introduced last year. The Datacryptor SA now supports the DNP3 protocol widely used by many electric utilities. Datacryptor SA provides a complete cost-effective security solution that can be easily deployed across existing SCADA networks vulnerable to cyber attack. By combining easy to use automatic key management with strong NIST-approved cryptography for authentication and encryption of SCADA connections and maintenance port access, the Datacryptor SA provides unparalleled security performance with minimal impact to operations. Remote maintenance ports on RTU and IED devices are often extremely vulnerable to cyber attack because they are accessible via unsecured dial-up or wireless links and may use default or widely known passwords for access. The Datacryptor SA is designed to provide a highly secure "gate keeper" function to protect maintenance port access as well as secure the authenticity of SCADA messages between Master and Remote.

SCADA networks perform key functions that deliver essential services and commodities such as electricity, natural gas, and water to the public at large. Originally designed in times where security concerns were less prevalent, SCADA networks are vulnerable to cyber attacks that can result in public safety concerns and serious disruptions to the Nation's economy. As a component of the critical infrastructure, SCADA systems still remain largely unprotected against cyber attacks and present a liability to many system owners.

Designed to meet emerging industry regulations, such as those being put in place by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and the American Gas Association (AGA), the Datacryptor SA provides SCADA system owners in the utility sector with a cost effective means of addressing cyber security threats in their remote access capabilities and communication networks in order to help prevent potential service disruptions or catastrophic events.

Thales offers a simple, yet complete solution addressing fundamentally important authentication, user-access control, user audit logging, and certificate management requirements necessary for the operation of a secure system. In addition to robust authentication and encryption, Thales provides the utility customer with all the necessary tools and accessories to easily deploy a management system to control the commissioning of devices and issuance of access control tokens. Supporting point-to-point, multi-drop, and mixed-mode (secured and non-secured communications sharing a multi-drop line) network configurations using serial asynchronous communication, the Datacryptor SA solution can be deployed in a variety of operational scenarios compatible with industry-standard communications protocols such as MODBUS RTU and now DNP3.

"As one of the most widely deployed SCADA communications protocols in the electrical utility industry, unsecured DNP3 networks are vulnerable to cyber attacks that can cause severe disruptions to the Nation's power distribution and have incalculable effects on the economy. The Datacryptor SA support for DNP3 SCADA networks provides the utility industry with a cost-effective solution to address this critical vulnerability. Complementing its earlier product release, Thales leads the industry in the critical infrastructure protection market," said James Kilazoglou, Managing Director of the e-Security activities of Thales.

Thales is exhibiting at booth #424 at the UTC Telecom Conference in Tampa, Florida, May 21-23, 2006.

About Thales

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, serving defense, aerospace, security and services markets worldwide, supported by a comprehensive services offering. The group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group employs 60,000 people and generated revenues of over $12 billion in 2005.

Operating in three main markets covering e-security, card payment, and network security, Thales' e-Security activity addresses the business, government, and finance industries' need for cryptographic security products and solutions. Over half of the world's banks, together with the majority of the busiest exchanges, currently use Thales technology. Visit the e-Security site of Thales on the Web at http://www.thalesesec.com.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category