System for secure transfer of information from an industrial control system network

• US 8,997,202 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OWL Cyber Defense Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Owl Computing Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Curry, John, Mraz, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, KHOI V
• Application Number:
  US13/707,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies

Abstract

A system for securely transferring information from an industrial control system network, including, within the secure domain, one or more remote terminal units coupled by a first network, one or more client computers coupled by a second network, and a send server coupled to the first and second networks. The send server acts as a proxy for communications between the client computers and the remote terminals and transmits first information from such communications on an output. The send server also transmits a poll request to a remote terminal unit via the first network and transmits second information received in response to the poll on the output. The system also includes, outside the secure domain, a receive server having an input coupled to the output of the send server via a one-way data link. The receive server receives and stores the first and second information provided via the input.

Claims

1. A system for securely transferring information from a first network positioned within a secure domain, comprising:

one or more remote terminal units within the secure domain;

a first network within the secure domain coupling the one or more remote terminal units;

one or more client computers within the secure domain;

a second network within the secure domain coupling the one or more client computers;

a send server within the secure domain and directly coupled to the first network and to the second network, the send server having an output and configured to act as a proxy for communications between at least one of the one or more client computers and at least one of the one or more remote terminal units, to store first information provided by the at least one of the one or more remote terminal units, and to transmit the stored first information on the output, the send server also configured to transmit a poll request based on information stored in the send server to at least one of the one or more remote terminal units via the first network, to store second information supplied on the first network in response to the poll request, and to transmit the second information on the output;

a receive server outside the secure domain having an input coupled to the output of the send server only via a one-way data link which allows communication only from the send server to the receive server and which prevents any communication from the receive server to the send server, the receive server configured to receive and store the first and second information provided via the input, the receive server coupled to the send server only via the one-way data link;

a third network outside the secure domain coupled to the receive server;

one or more client computers outside the secure domain coupled to the third network;

wherein the receive server is configured to provide at least part of the stored information in response to a request from one of the one or more client computers via the third network; and

wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS PLC.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second networks are part of an industrial control system.

4. A system for securely transferring information from a first network positioned within a secure domain, comprising:

one or more remote terminal units within the secure domain;

a first network within the secure domain coupling the one or more remote terminal units;

one or more client computers within the secure domain;

a second network within the secure domain coupling the one or more client computers;

a send server within the secure domain and directly coupled to the first network and to the second network, the send server having an output and configured to act as a proxy for communications between at least one of the one or more client computers and at least one of the one or more remote terminal units, to store information provided by the at least one of the one or more remote terminal units, and to transmit the stored information on the output;

a receive server outside the secure domain having an input coupled to the output of the send server only via a one-way data link which allows communication only from the send server to the receive server and which prevents any communication from the receive server to the send server, the receive server configured to receive and store the information provided via the input, the receive server coupled to the send server only via the one-way data link;

a third network outside the secure domain coupled to the receive server;

one or more client computers outside the secure domain coupled to the third network; and

wherein the receive server is configured to provide at least part of the stored information in response to a request from one of the one or more client computers via the third network and wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS PLC.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first and second networks are part of an industrial control system.

7. A system for securely transferring information from a first network positioned within a secure domain, comprising:

one or more remote terminal units within the secure domain;

a first network within the secure domain coupling the one or more remote terminal units;

a send server within the secure domain and directly coupled to the first network, the send server having an output and configured to transmit a poll request based on information stored in the send server to at least one of the one or more remote terminal units via the first network, to read information supplied on the first network in response to the poll request, and to transmit the read information on the output;

a receive server outside the secure domain having an input coupled to the output of the send server only via a one-way data link which allows communication only from the send server to the receive server and which prevents any communication from the receive server to the send server, the receive server configured to receive and store the information provided via the input, the receive server coupled to the send server only via the one-way data link;

a second network outside the secure domain coupled to the receive server;

one or more client computers outside the secure domain coupled to the second network; and

wherein the receive server is configured to provide at least part of the stored information in response to a request from one of the one or more client computers via the second network and

wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the remote terminal units is a MODBUS PLC.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first network is part of an industrial control system.