A Toolkit for Next Generation Electric Power Grid SCADA System Cybersecurity Protection and Research

This proposal focuses on developing advanced protection methods for the emerging next generation of electric power grid SCADA technology. A major concern that has been expressed by participants in the development of such methods is the need for a reference implementation of the next generation SCADA technology for use by researchers. This concern is addressed by developing a toolkit for next-generation electric power SCADA security protection and by implementing the technology in a manner open to other researchers for development of improved SCADA security. Components of the toolkit will address basic SCADA master station infrastructure, encryption, end node operating system security, and SCADA system intrusion detection. The end node operating system security will be based on Security Enhanced Linux and responds to another concern being expressed within the community addressing next generation electric power SCADA security. An important component of the toolkit will be a reference implementation of the next generation standard protocol for electric utility SCADA systems, which is based on Utility Communications Architecture, UCA (TM of EPRI), technology. The toolkit components can be used to protect SCADA master stations and substation/poletop devices, and to support separate security monitoring of the SCADA system.