Enhancing Security of Your Substation Automation Systems Using Secure IEC 61850 Gateways

The complexity of power grids has increased due to a notable rise in distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy storage systems, coupled with the growing trend of unmanned substations. DERs, with their intermittent energy production, are having a major impact on power grids. They often generate excessive power or produce insufficient power, leading to grid unreliability.

As a result, managing real-time power dispatch has become increasingly challenging for engineers in substation control centers. Digital substations, offering stability and flexibility in power supply, are playing a crucial role in addressing power grid instabilities. However, transitioning all substations to digital simultaneously is hindered by budget constraints for retrofitting numerous legacy serial-based devices.

Communication gateways play a vital role in addressing these challenges by enabling serial-based intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) to communicate with Ethernet-based networks. They offer a cost-effective alternative to computing platforms. While solving the serial-to-Ethernet transition issue, the rise of cyberattacks on Ethernet-based networks poses a significant threat to the cybersecurity of retrofit power substations.

Significance of Cybersecurity for Substation Automation Systems

Substation protection and control systems govern critical power operations through communication protocols. In retrofit projects, communication gateways act as data concentrators to manage the large volume of legacy IEDs. Despite their crucial role, communication gateways often lack sufficient security measures, exposing a high risk of unauthorized access to legacy IEDs by malicious attackers. This can lead to system downtime, power failures, equipment damage, substantial financial losses, and even endanger lives.

The IEC 62443 standard has emerged as a leading cybersecurity standard for industrial automation and control systems. For critical power automation systems, consider adopting a tailored standard like IEC 62351. Incorporating technologies from both standards is crucial for safeguarding critical data and monitoring network security effectively.

Safeguard Your Critical Data to Mitigate Cyberattacks

If hackers breach your substation networks, they can intercept data and gain insights into your network communication patterns. Moreover, they can inflict havoc by transmitting incorrect commands to manipulate the IEDs. To combat such malicious activities, your communication gateways must encrypt data for communication protocols such as DNP3 TCP and IEC 61850 MMS.

Surveillance of Network Security Status and Malicious Behavior

Ensuring a more secure network infrastructure is crucial for monitoring and managing IEDs in refurbished substations. Constant monitoring of network devices like switches, IEDs, and communication gateways is vital. For example, in case of Ethernet port link failures or detection of malicious activities, the gateway should promptly notify the information system, allowing engineers to address the issue promptly.

Your Secure IEC 61850 Substation Gateways

We have crafted our MGate 5119 Series IEC 61850 gateways to secure your devices from initial configuration to daily maintenance. These gateways bolster communication security and enhance network security for your retrofitted substations.

Set Up Your Devices Securely With Built-in Security Functions

Connecting your substations to networks exposes them to potential threats. Hence, safeguarding all network nodes from intruders is imperative. Our MGate 5119 Series IEC 61850 gateways align with IEC 62443 and NERC CIP guidelines, offering multiple security functions to ensure your device’s security during the initial setup process.

• Defense against password cracking: Opting for default passwords is no longer viable. Our IEC 61850 gateways enforce a password policy promoting the usage of strong passwords to deter unauthorized access.
• Protection against sniffing and data breaches: Exposing your device configuration in plain text is risky. Our IEC 61850 gateways incorporate SSL/TLS for encrypting critical data during the configuration process.
• Resistance to configuration file and program tampering: When exporting configuration files for backup, our IEC 61850 gateways encrypt the files to enhance data integrity.
• DDoS defense with embedded detection of suspicious activities: DDoS attacks aim to disrupt your network by taking up bandwidth or targeting networking device resources. Our IEC 61850 gateways assist in detecting abnormal packets and notifying you for swift action.

Strengthen Communication Security With Protocol Encryption

Lack of encryption in data communications facilitates hackers in capturing plain text data easily. This can enable them to decipher how to manipulate your IEDs and subsequently transmit false control commands, jeopardizing substation operations. Our MGate 5119 Series IEC 61850 gateways support TLS v1.2 to secure data transmission between communication gateways and a power SCADA system, leveraging standard communication protocols such as IEC 61850 MMS and DNP3 TCP.

Easily Monitor Device Security Status

Security is an ongoing endeavor that mandates constant monitoring of device security status in daily operations. Our MGate 5119 Series IEC 61850 gateways support the MXview network management software, furnishing an intuitive network topology for users to swiftly verify device status. Furthermore, users can monitor user-defined security events and alert administrators about violations. This approach facilitates easy verification and assurance that our IEC 61850 gateways operate at an acceptable security level.

Besides fortifying your communication security, our MGate 5119 Series IEC 61850 gateways are equipped with convenient features that streamline configuration and troubleshooting processes. The industrial-grade design ensures operational reliability for critical applications in substation retrofit projects. To explore more about our DNP3/IEC 101/IEC 104/Modbus-to-IEC 61850 gateways, visit our product page.