Securing access of a process control or automation system

A method performed by a process control or automation system, the method comprising:

• first authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity of an instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environment (MEEE) to communicate, via one of a secured point-to-point (PTP or P2P) connection or at least one of another secured PTP or P2P connection, a secured point-to-multipoint (PTM) connection, or a secured multipoint-to-multipoint (MTM) connection, with a physical device that performs a physical function utilized in control of an industrial or automation process provided by an enterprise;
• second authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity corresponding to the physical device or to an intervening device communicatively disposed between the instantiated MEEE and the physical device to communicate with the instantiated MEEE via the other one of the secured PTP or P2P connection or the at least one of the another secured PTP or P2P connection, the secured PTM connection, or the secured MTM connection;
• when both the identity corresponding to the physical device and the identity of the instantiated MEEE are authenticated and/or authorized, granting permission for the instantiated MEEE and the physical device to communicatively connect to thereby deliver information between the instantiated MEEE and the physical device for controlling at least a portion of the industrial or automation process;
• and
• based on the granted permission, communicatively connecting the physical device and the instantiated MEEE via the secured PTP or P2P connection and the at least one of the another secured PTP or P2P connection, the secured point-to-multipoint (PTM) connection, or the secured multipoint-to-multipoint (MTM) connection.

A method performed by a process control or automation system, the method comprising:

• first authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity of an instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environment (MEEE) to communicate, via a first virtual private network (VPN) of a plurality of VPNs, with a physical device that performs a physical function utilized in control of an industrial or automation process provided by an enterprise;
• second authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity corresponding to the physical device to communicate with the instantiated MEEE via the first VPN or a second VPN of the plurality of VPNs;
• when both the identity corresponding to the physical device and the identity of the instantiated MEEE are authenticated and/or authorized, granting permission for the instantiated MEEE and the physical device to communicatively connect to thereby deliver information between the instantiated MEEE and the physical device for controlling at least a portion of the industrial or automation process;
• and
• based on the granted permission, communicatively connecting the instantiated MEEE and the physical device via the plurality of VPNs.

A method performed by a process control or automation system, the method comprising:

• first authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity of an instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environment (MEEE) to communicate with a physical device that performs a physical function utilized in control of an industrial or automation process provided by an enterprise, the instantiated MEEE included in a plurality of instantiated MEEEs, and the plurality of instantiated MEEEs including a packet router or switch service;
• second authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity corresponding to the physical device to communicate with the instantiated MEEE;
• and
• when both the identity corresponding to the physical device and the identity of the instantiated MEEE are authenticated and/or authorized, granting permission for the instantiated MEEE and the physical device to communicatively connect to thereby deliver information between the instantiated MEEE and the physical device for controlling at least a portion of the industrial or automation process.

A method performed by a process control or automation system, the method comprising:

• first authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity of an instantiated micro-encapsulated execution environment (MEEE) to communicate with a physical device that performs a physical function utilized in control of an industrial or automation process provided by an enterprise, the instantiated MEEE included in a plurality of instantiated MEEEs, and the plurality of instantiated MEEEs including at least one of:
• a software defined compute service, a software defined storage service, or a software defined networking service;
• second authenticating and/or authorizing, by the process control or automation system, an identity corresponding to the physical device to communicate with the instantiated MEEE;
• and
• when both the identity corresponding to the physical device and the identity of the instantiated MEEE are authenticated and/or authorized, granting permission for the instantiated MEEE and the physical device to communicatively connect to thereby deliver information between the instantiated MEEE and the physical device for controlling at least a portion of the industrial or automation process.