Securing SCADA network access from a remote terminal unit

• US 10,134,207 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Al-Yousef, Hassan S., Alkhabbaz, Fouad M., Abu Al Saud, Zakarya A., Almadi, Soloman M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US15/492,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24215 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A first message from a remote terminal unit (RTU) is received, where the first message indicates that a motion has been detected. In response to receiving the first message, a timer is started at a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server. Whether a personal identification number (PIN) verification and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification have succeeded is determined before the timer expires. In response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, a communication port connecting the RTU with the SCADA server is disabled.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, a first message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the first message indicates that a motion has been detected;

in response to receiving the first message, starting a timer at a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server;

determining whether a personal identification number (PIN) verification and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification with respect to the RTU have succeeded before the timer expires; and

in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, disabling a communication port connecting the RTU with the SCADA server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, transmitting a second message to the RTU, wherein the second message initiates a recording of video images by a camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the camera includes infra-red (IR) night vision capabilities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RTU performs a control operation of a field instrument while the communication port is disabled, and the control operation includes at least one of a valve control operation, an instrument reading operation, an abnormal operating condition detection operation, a data processing operation, or an operating condition control operation.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, a third message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the third message indicates that another motion has been detected;

in response to receiving the third message, starting a second timer;

determining whether a second personal identification number (PIN) verification and a second radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification with respect to the RTU have succeeded before the second timer expires; and

in response to determining that the second PIN verification and the second RFID verification have succeeded, initiating a logging procedure at the SCADA server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is formatted according to an 802.1x standard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is encrypted by the RTU.

8. A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive, a first message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the first message indicates that a motion has been detected;

in response to receive the first message, start a timer at the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server;

determine whether a personal identification number (PIN) verification and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification have succeeded before the timer expires; and

in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, disable a communication port connecting the RTU with the SCADA server.

9. The SCADA server of claim 8, further comprising:

an interface configured to receive RFID information and a PIN input from the RTU, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to;

determine whether the PIN verification has succeeded based on PIN input; and

determine whether the RFID verification has succeeded based on the RFID information.

10. The SCADA server of claim 8, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured, in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, to transmit a second message to the RTU, wherein the second message initiates a recording of video images by a camera.

11. The SCADA server of claim 10, wherein the camera includes infra-red (IR) night vision capabilities.

12. The SCADA server of claim 8, wherein the RTU performs a control operation of a field instrument while the communication port is disabled, and the control operation includes at least one of a valve control operation, an instrument reading operation, an abnormal operating condition detection operation, a data processing operation, or an operating condition control operation.

13. The SCADA server of claim 10, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

receive, a third message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the third message indicates that another motion has been detected;

in response to receiving the third message, start a second timer;

determine whether a second personal identification number (PIN) verification and a second radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification have succeeded before the second timer expires; and

in response to determining that the second PIN verification and the second RFID verification have succeeded, initiate a logging procedure at the SCADA server.

14. The SCADA server of claim 8, wherein the first message is formatted according to an 802.1x standard.

15. The SCADA server of claim 8, wherein the first message is encrypted by the RTU.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, a first message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the first message indicates that a motion has been detected;

in response to receiving the first message, starting a timer at a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) server;

determining whether a personal identification number (PIN) verification and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification with respect to the RTU have succeeded before the timer expires; and

in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, disabling a communication port connecting the RTU with the SCADA server.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, the operations further comprising, in response to determining that at least one of the PIN verification or the RFID verification fails, transmitting a second message to the RTU, wherein the second message initiates a recording of video images by a camera.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the RTU performs a control operation of a field instrument while the communication port is disabled, and the control operation includes at least one of a valve control operation, an instrument reading operation, an abnormal operating condition detection operation, a data processing operation, or an operating condition control operation.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

receiving, a third message from a remote terminal unit (RTU), wherein the third message indicates that another motion has been detected;

in response to receiving the third message, starting a second timer;

determining whether a second personal identification number (PIN) verification and a second radio-frequency identification (RFID) verification have succeeded before the second timer expires; and

in response to determining that the second PIN verification and the second RFID verification have succeeded, initiating a logging procedure at the SCADA server.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first message is formatted according to an 802.1x standard.