Apparatus and method for securing a distributed control system (DCS)

An apparatus comprising:

• a first distributed control system (DCS) node comprising:
• at least one interface configured to receive over a network information associated with a security manager;
• and
• at least one processing device configured to:
• establish multiple communication channels including a non-secure channel and a secure channel between the first DCS node and the security manager over the network using the information;
• receive security credentials from the security manager over the non-secure channel via the at least one interface;
• receive a security policy and an initial activation time from the security manager over the secure channel via the at least one interface;
• perform a handshake operation with a second DCS node;
• determine whether to adjust the initial activation time based on a result of the handshake operation with the second DCS node;
• and
• transition the at least one interface to communicate with the second DCS node over the network using the security policy at one of:
• the initial activation time or an adjusted activation time.

A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

• receiving, at a first distributed control system (DCS) node over a network, information associated with a security manager;
• establishing multiple communication channels between the first DCS node and the security manager over the network using the information, the communication channels including a non-secure channel and a secure channel;
• receiving security credentials from the security manager at the first DCS node over the non-secure channel;
• receiving a security policy and an initial activation time from the security manager at the first DCS node over the secure channel;
• performing a handshake operation with a second DCS node;
• determining whether to adjust the initial activation time based on a result of the handshake operation with the second DCS node;
• and
• transitioning the first DCS node to communicate with the second DCS node over the network using the security policy at one of:
• the initial activation time or an adjusted activation time.