Organizing the information security in Modbus TCP interfaces for use in the energy complex

Abstract

Abstract A modern automated control system at electric power companies is a complex of many systems, modules and interfaces. One of the most important and, at the same time, vulnerable is the switching module, which is a set of devices and interfaces for transmitting, processing and analyzing data. The Modbus protocol is considered in this work as one of the most common interfaces for control systems at power plants. Its advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Modern control interfaces are susceptible to cyber attacks, which poses a threat to the entire energy complex. The study of Modbus problems is considered, the main solutions for their elimination are proposed and analyzed in order to increase resistance to cyberthreats. A proprietary solution for modernizing the Modbus protocol was proposed based on the implementation of its own authentication mechanism, as well as data transmission using cryptographically strong encryption algorithms. General functional and structural schemes, as well as schemes that take into account the use of the proposed solution, have been formed. The calculation of the cryptographic strength of the proposed cryptography algorithms is made. Conclusions regarding the potential increase in resilience to cyber threats were formulated based on the data collected during the analysis.