Enhanced security of process control instruments
AssigneeSchneider Electric Systems USA, Inc.
InventorsPavanKumar Malayanur, Stephen Richard Owen Beadle, Briane Ritchie, Zakarya Drias
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Abstract
System and method of securing a process control instrument of a process control system. An authorization server is configured to authenticate the process control instrument based on a unique secure code provided to the server in response to the process control instrument entering an enhanced secure mode as determined by a switch setting. In response to being authenticated in the enhanced secure mode, the process control instrument is configured to operate in a configuration state in which an authorized user is granted access to configure the security details of the process control instrument.
Claims20
A process control system comprising:
- at least one process control instrument, the process control instrument having a switch configured for placing the process control instrument in a selected one of a plurality of access modes as determined by a switch setting thereof, the access modes including a normal mode in which the process control instrument performs non-secure functionality, an enhanced secure mode in which access for configuring security details of the process control instrument is restricted to an authorized user, and a secure mode in which the process control instrument operates in accordance with the security details as configured in the enhanced secure mode, the process control instrument storing a unique secure code associated therewith;
- at least one controller configured to communicate on a plant cloud, the controller communicatively coupled to the process control instrument via a control network;
- and
- an authorization server communicatively coupled to the controller directly or via the plant cloud, the authorization server configured to authenticate the process control instrument based on the unique secure code provided thereto in response to the process control instrument entering the enhanced secure mode, wherein:
- in response to being authenticated in the enhanced secure mode, the process control instrument is configured to operate in a configuration state in which the authorized user is granted access to configure security details of the process control instrument.
A method of securing a process control instrument of a process control system, the process control instrument having a switch associated therewith, the method comprising:
- determining, by a controller of the process control system communicatively coupled to the process control instrument, a switch setting of the switch associated with the process control instrument, the switch setting placing the process control instrument in a selected one of a plurality of access modes, the access modes including a normal mode in which the process control instrument performs non-secure functionality, an enhanced secure mode in which access for configuring security details of the process control instrument is restricted to an authorized user, and a secure mode in which the process control instrument operates in accordance with the security details as configured in the enhanced secure mode;
- receiving, by an authorization server of the process control system communicatively coupled to the controller, a unique secure code stored in and associated with the process control instrument in response to the process control instrument entering the enhanced secure mode based on the determined switch setting;
- and
- authenticating, by the authorization server, the process control instrument based on the secure code;
- wherein in response to the process control instrument being authenticated in the enhanced secure mode, the process control instrument grants access to the authorized user for configuring security details of the process control instrument.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.