Systems and methods for establishing secure communication in an electric power distribution system
AssigneeSchweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsColin Gordon, John W. Knapek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes an intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to perform operations that include receiving a first user input and deriving a first connectivity association key (CAK) based on the first user input. The system also includes a gateway configured to perform operations that include receiving a second user input, deriving a second CAK based on the second user input, identifying the first CAK of the IED, establishing an adoption link with the IED based on a match between the first CAK and the second CAK, generating a third CAK, and distributing a copy of the third CAK to the IED via the adoption link to establish a MKA connectivity association with the IED.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an intelligent electronic device (IED) configured to perform operations comprising receiving a first user input and deriving a first connectivity association key (CAK) based on the first user input;
- and
- a gateway configured to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a second user input;
- deriving a second CAK based on the second user input;
- identifying the first CAK of the IED;
- establishing an adoption link with the IED based on a match between the first CAK and the second CAK;
- generating a third CAK;
- and
- distributing a copy of the third CAK to the IED via the adoption link to establish a Media Access Control security key agreement (MKA) connectivity association with the IED.
A controller of a gateway for an electric power distribution system, the controller comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
- comparing a first connectivity association key (CAK) with a second CAK of an intelligent electronic device (IED) of the electric power distribution system;
- establishing an adoption link with the IED based on a match between the first CAK and the second CAK;
- generating a third CAK;
- distributing a copy of the third CAK to the IED via the adoption link;
- and
- establishing a Media Access Control security key agreement (MKA) connectivity association with the IED based on the IED possessing the copy of the third CAK.
An intelligent electronic device (IED) for an electric power distribution system, the IED comprising:
- processing circuitry;
- and
- a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a user input;
- deriving a first connectivity association key (CAK) based on the user input;
- broadcasting the first CAK;
- establishing an adoption link with an additional component of the electric power distribution system based on broadcasting of the first CAK, wherein the additional component is a gateway, an IED, or both;
- and
- receiving a copy of a second CAK from the additional component via the adoption link to establish a Media Access Control key agreement (MKA) communication link with the additional component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.