Critical infrastructure security framework

An end-to-end security framework for a mission critical infrastructure having plurality of sites, the framework comprising:

• (a) a L3 level network partitioned into a plurality of L2 level networks,
• (b) a plurality of intelligent electronic devices connected through one of a plurality of L2 level networks to form a plurality of functional groups across the plurality of sites, at least one device being accessible to a user and at least one device being a secure gateway, wherein L2 connectivity between the plurality of the intelligent electronic devices within the same functional group is maintained across sites to accommodate critical infrastructure L2 protocol communications requirements and non-L3 critical infrastructure communication protocols yet restricting access through a role based authentication control protocol,
• (c) an input device connected to one of the plurality of the L2 level networks for allowing a user to request access to the control device by inputting user information into the input device;
• (d) a secure gateway device connected to one of the plurality of the L2 level networks for control access between the input device and the plurality of intelligent electronic devices,
• (e) a credential management application connected to one of the plurality of the L2 level networks having a role based access control (RBAC) protocol for granting access to each of the plurality of intelligent electronic devices by analyzing the user information;
• and
• (f) whereby the user can be granted access to each of the plurality of intelligent electronic devices based on the analysis of the user information by the role based access control protocol of the credential management application.

A method for implementing a security framework for mission critical infrastructure applications maintaining L2 connectivity across infrastructure sites, the method comprising:

• (a) partitioning an L3 level network into a plurality of L2 level networks based on functional purpose and connected through a plurality of firewall devices;
• (b) providing a control device in the mission critical infrastructure site connected to one of the plurality of L2 level networks;
• (c) allowing a user to request access to the control device through an input device connected to one of the plurality of L2 level networks, the user inputting user information into the input device;
• (d) managing access between the input device and the control device through a secure gateway device with dynamic firewall function applying dynamic firewall rules;
• (e) granting access to the control device through a credential management application connected to at least one of the plurality L2 networks analyzing the user information using a role based access control protocol;
• and
• (f) whereby the user can be granted access to the control device based on the analysis of the user information by the role based access control protocol of the credential management application.