Industrial Controller Authentication via Challenge-Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems lack authentication and firewall mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and disruption, allowing any connecting device to compromise or disrupt the system.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an authentication process where an industrial controller randomly generates an exchange key, combines it with a locally stored pass key to produce an authentication code, and compares it with a challenge key from the client device, allowing access only upon a successful match, while preventing access upon a failed match, and optionally applying cryptographic hash functions like MD5 or SHA-1.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If authentication and firewall mechanisms are implemented in industrial control systems, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions before allowing access to industrial control functions. The controller generates an authentication code in advance using a challenge-response mechanism, where it combines a challenge key from the client device with a secret key to produce an expected authentication code. This preliminary verification ensures that only authenticated devices can access the control system, preventing unauthorized access before it can cause harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication code as an intermediary element between the client device and the industrial controller. This intermediary mechanism mediates the access request by requiring the client device to demonstrate knowledge of a secret key through the challenge-response protocol. The authentication code acts as a mediator that verifies the identity and authority of connecting devices without exposing the actual secret key, thus enhancing security while maintaining system accessibility for legitimate users.
2Reliability
If authentication mechanisms are added to industrial controllers, then protection from unauthorized intrusion is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication mechanism enables self-service operation by allowing authorized client devices to automatically authenticate themselves without requiring manual intervention from system administrators. The challenge-response protocol allows the client device to independently generate the authentication code by combining the challenge key with its stored secret key, and the controller independently verifies this code against its own calculation. This self-service approach streamlines the authentication process for legitimate users while maintaining strong security controls.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present invention provide machines, systems, and methods in which industrial control systems may be secured from compromise and/or disruption via authentication and firewall. In particular, an industrial controller may: randomly generate an exchange key and send the exchange key to a client device in response to a transaction request originating from the client device; combine the exchange key with a locally stored pass key to produce an authentication code; and compare a challenge key received from the client device to the authentication code to determine a match between the challenge key and the authentication code. A successful match between the challenge key and the authentication code may allow the client device to further access the industrial controller using a common industrial protocol (CIP), and a failed match between the challenge key and the authentication code may prevent the client device from further access to the industrial controller.