Systems and methods for control system security

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11579592-B2
Application number	US-202016990972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A component security device may be disposed at an interface between a component and a cyber-physical system. The disclosed component security device may be physically and/or electrically coupled between the component and infrastructure of the cyber-physical system, such as a backplane, bus, and/or the like. The component security device may be configured to monitor the component, and selectively isolate the component from the cyber-physical system. Since the component security device is interposed at the interface of the component, the component security device may be capable of isolating the component regardless of whether the component has been compromised (e.g., regardless of whether the component is capable of complying with system commands).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A security device, comprising:
a component manager configured to establish electrical connections between a component of a control system and an integration device of the control system, the electrical connections configured to couple the component to a plurality of services provided by the integration device, the component manager comprising:
a first coupler configured to couple with the integration device of the control system, and
a second coupler configured to couple with the component; and

a security engine configured to implement one or more mitigation actions at the component security device in response to detection an anomaly pertaining to the component, the mitigation actions comprising:
isolating the component from one or more of the services provided by the integration device of the control system, wherein isolating the component comprises interrupting the coupling between the integration device and the component; and
providing access to forensic diagnostic data pertaining to the component while isolating the component from the one or more services provided by the integration device of the control system.

2. The security device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication manager configured to selectively couple the component to communication services provided through the coupling between the integration device and the component;
wherein isolating the component from the control system comprises decoupling the component from the communication services.

3. The security device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a power manager configured to selectively couple the component to power supplied through the coupling between the integration device and the component;
wherein isolating the component from the control system further comprises decoupling the component from power.

4. The security device of claim 1 , wherein:
isolating the component from the control system comprises the component manager maintaining connections by which power is supplied to the component through the integration device while blocking one or more communication interfaces of the component; and
the security device further comprises a forensic module configured to provide access to the forensic diagnostic data pertaining to the component while the component is isolated from the one or more services provided by the integration device of the control system.

5. The security device of claim 4 , wherein the forensic module is further configured to interrogate the component through the second coupler of the component manager.

6. The security device of claim 4 , wherein the forensic module is further configured to provide access to diagnostic data pertaining to the component through a forensics application programming interface (API).

7. The security device of claim 4 , wherein the forensic module is further configured to push configuration data to the component through a recovery application programming interface (API).

8. The security device of claim 1 , further comprising processing resources configured to implement failover functionality in response to isolating the component from the control system, the failover functionality configured to replace functionality implemented by the component within the control system, the failover functionality further configured to replace one or more of: input functionality, control functionality, output functionality, input/output functionality, and communication functionality.

9. The security device of claim 1 , further comprising a failover component configured to implement failover functionality corresponding to functionality implemented by the component, wherein isolating the component from the control system further comprises:
the component manager coupling the failover component to the integration device; and
the security engine configuring the failover component to implement the failover functionality corresponding to the functionality implemented by the component.

10. A method for control system security, comprising:
establishing electrical connections between a component of a control system and an integration device of the control system by a component security device, the electrical connections configured to couple the component to a plurality of services provided by the integration device; and
implementing one or more mitigation actions at the component security device in response to detection an anomaly pertaining to the component, the mitigation actions comprising:
isolating the component from one or more of the services provided by the integration device, and

providing access to forensic diagnostic data pertaining to the component while isolating the component from the one or more services provided by the integration device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising implementing the one or more mitigation actions at the component security device in response to receiving a security command pertaining to the component at the component security device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the isolating comprises disconnecting the component from one or more of: an electronic communication network, an upstream communication interface, a downstream communication interface, outbound network communication, and inbound network communication.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the isolating comprises:
disconnecting communication couplings of the component from communication couplings of the integration device; and
maintaining a connection between the communication couplings of the component and communication couplings of the component security device.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein implementing the one or more mitigation actions further comprises:
blocking communication by the component at the component security device, while maintaining power to the component;
retrieving the forensic diagnostic data from the component through electrical connections maintained between the component security device and the component; and
providing access to the forensic diagnostic data through an electronic communication network.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing access to the forensic diagnostic data by use of communication services supplied through electrical connections between the component security device and the integration device.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing access to the forensic diagnostic data through a communication interface of the component security device, the communication interface configured to couple the component security device to a secondary electronic communication network, the secondary electronic communication network separate from a primary electronic communication network of the integration device.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing access to the forensic diagnostic data through an application programming interface (API).

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising transferring configuration data to the component through the electrical connections maintained between the component security device and the component.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising transferring the configuration data to the component in response to a request submitted through an application programming interface (API) of the component security device.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein implementing the one or more mitigation actions further comprises implementing failover functionality in response to isolating the component from the one or more services provided by the in

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Rieger Craig G
• Springer Edward E
• Mccarty Michael V
• Mcjunkin Timothy R

Classifications

• Y04S40/20

  Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security · CPC title

• G05B19/4184

  characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G06F21/554

  involving event detection and direct action · CPC title

• G06F21/82

  Protecting input, output or interconnection devices · CPC title