Component management via secure communications

A system to establish secure communications to manage components of a control system, the system comprising:

• a controller configured to receive a request to join a first component to a cluster of components within the system;
• a class verification module configured to verify the first component based on a class of the first component by matching the class to a predetermined list of expected classes;
• a signature module configured to generate a signature for marking the command from the first component;
• wherein a type of command that the first component is allowed to send to a second component belonging to a class different from the class of the first component is restricted;
• a virtual private network module configured to establish a secure communication path between the first component and the second component from the cluster based on the signature;
• and
• a transmission module configured to transmit the command between the first component and the second component through the secure communication path.

A controller of a vehicle configured to establish secure communications to manage components of the vehicle, the controller comprising:

• a memory configured to store instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing an application in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, wherein the application is configured to:
• receive a request to join a first component to a cluster of components by the controller;
• verify the first component based on a class of the first component by matching the class to a predetermined list of expected classes;
• generate a signature using a system key to sign a public key and the class of the first component;
• mark a command from the first component with the signature;
• establish a secure communication path between the first component and a second component from the cluster based on the signature;
• transmit the command between the first component and the second component through the secure communication path;
• and
• prevent a transmission and an execution of another command associated with the first component in response to a determination that the other command lacks the signature.