Providing security in an intelligent electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11870910-B2
Application number	US-202117177767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing security in an intelligent electronic device (IED) are provided. In one aspect of the present disclosure, an IED is provided including at least one processor that receives a communication via a communication interface, the communication including an unencrypted file and a digital signature. The at least one processor decrypts the digital signature to obtain a first value, executes a hash function on the unencrypted file to obtain a second value, determines if the first value and second value match, and updates at least one firmware package stored in at least one memory of the IED with the unencrypted file if it is determined that the first value and the second value match.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An intelligent electronic device (IED) comprising:
at least one sensor coupled to an electrical distribution system, the at least one sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the electrical distribution system and generate at least one analog signal indicative of the at least one parameter;
at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the at least one analog signal and convert the at least one analog signal to at least one digital signal;
at least one memory configured to store a plurality of firmware packages of the IED;
at least one communication interface configured to receive at least one communication, the at least one communication including a digital signature and an unencrypted file, the unencrypted file including firmware data; and
at least one processor configured to receive the at least one digital signal and calculate at least one power parameter of the electrical distribution system, the at least one processor further configured to:
receive the at least one communication from the at least one communication interface,
decrypt the digital signature to obtain a first value,
execute a hash function on the unencrypted file to obtain a second value,
determine if the first value and second value match, and
update at least one firmware package of the plurality of firmware packages stored in the at least one memory with the unencrypted file if it is determined that the first value and the second value match,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine unused sections in the firmware data of the unencrypted file and fill at least one section of the unused sections of the firmware data of the unencrypted file with arbitrary values to impede a third party from determining unused sections of the firmware data before updating the at least one firmware package.

2. The IED of claim 1 , wherein the hash function is at least one of Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) 0, SHA-1, SHA-2, SHA-256, SHA-3, Message-Digest Algorithm (MD) 2, MD4, and MD5.

3. The IED of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication is received as a first transmission and a second transmission, the first transmission including the digital signature and the second transmission including the unencrypted file.

4. The IED of claim 1 , wherein when the at least one processor determines that the first value and the second value do not match, the at least one processor generates an error message and does not update the at least one firmware package with the unencrypted file.

5. The IED of claim 4 , further comprising a display, wherein the at least one processor is configured to output the error message to the display.

6. The IED of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the error message to at least one other device via the communication interface.

7. The IED of claim 1 , wherein when the at least one processor determines the first value and the second value do not match, the at least one processor initiates a lockout timer to prevent a user from attempting to upgrade the at least one firmware package for a predetermined period of time.

8. The IED of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to ignore any communication received during the lockout period.

9. The IED of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor decrypts the digital signature using a public key stored in the at least one memory to obtain the first value.

10. The IED of claim 9 , wherein the digital signature is created by encrypting a hash value encrypted using a private key that corresponds to the public key.

11. The IED of claim 1 , further comprising a housing including a sealing switch configured to be pressed, wherein when the sealing switch is pressed, the sealing switch is configured to provide a signal to the at least one processor, the at least one processor further configured to allow access to sensitive information stored in the at least one memory after receiving the signal from the sealing switch.

12. The IED of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide access to the sensitive information for a predetermined period of time after receiving the signal form the sealing switch.

13. The IED of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

14. The IED of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein the at least one sensor, at least one analog-to-digital converter, at least one memory, at least one communication interface and the at least one processor are disposed in the housing.

15. The IED of claim 14 , wherein the housing is at least one of a panel meter housing, a switchboard meter housing, a draw-out type housing, an A-based housing and/or a circuit breaker mounted housing.

16. The IED of claim 14 , wherein the housing is a socket or S-based housing.

17. The IED of claim 14 , wherein the housing further includes a sealing switch configured to be pressed, wherein when the sealing switch is pressed, the sealing switch is configured to provide a signal to the at least one processor, the at least one processor further configured to allow access to sensitive information stored in the at least one memory after receiving the signal from the sealing switch.

Assignees

• Electro Industries/Gauge Tech
• Ei Electronics Llc

Inventors

• Spanier Joseph
• Cansancao Dulciane Siqueira

Classifications

• H04L9/3247 Primary

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F21/572 Primary

  Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS] · CPC title

• H04L9/3236

  using cryptographic hash functions · CPC title

• H04L9/3239

  involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD · CPC title