Emergency Access Credential Management in Renewable Power Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing emergency access to computer systems in renewable power plants are inefficient, error-prone, and pose security risks due to manual processes and potential misuse of emergency accounts.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows authorized personnel to request and obtain credentials for emergency accounts from a central access system, enabling secure and convenient emergency access to computer systems while ensuring security and accountability through credential refreshing and synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual processes are used to manage emergency accounts, then flexibility in emergency access is maintained, but the system becomes time-consuming, error-prone and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service through automated credential distribution and management. When emergency access is required, the system automatically provides credentials to authorized personnel without requiring manual administrative intervention. The system also automatically monitors usage, logs activities, and refreshes credentials, eliminating the need for manual tracking and management of emergency accounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with automated electronic systems. Instead of manually creating, distributing, and tracking emergency account credentials, the system uses automated electronic credential management, digital logging, and programmatic credential refreshing, thereby eliminating time-consuming manual operations while maintaining security controls.
2Ease of operation
If emergency accounts are used for non-emergency cases, then access convenience is improved, but traceability is lost and security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms through automated logging and monitoring. Every use of emergency credentials is automatically recorded with timestamps, user identities, and access details. This feedback loop enables real-time monitoring and post-event analysis, ensuring that even convenient emergency access maintains full traceability and security accountability through automatic documentation of all access events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication system that sits between users and the computer system. This intermediary automatically verifies credentials, logs access events, and enforces security policies without requiring manual intervention. The intermediary ensures that all emergency access is automatically recorded and monitored, maintaining security and traceability while preserving access convenience through automated processes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If emergency credentials are shared among multiple users, then access flexibility is improved, but security risks increase due to potential unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments credential management by providing unique, individually tracked credentials to each authorized user rather than sharing a single credential set. Each user receives their own emergency credentials that are automatically logged and monitored. This segmentation maintains access flexibility for multiple users while eliminating security risks associated with shared credentials, as each credential can be individually traced and controlled.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes credential parameters such as expiration times, scope of access, and validity conditions based on specific emergency situations and user identities. Instead of static shared credentials, the system issues time-limited, context-specific credentials with controlled scopes. This approach maintains flexibility by adapting credentials to specific needs while reducing security risks through automatic expiration and restricted access scopes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for managing emergency access to a computer system (4) of a renewable power plant (3) is disclosed. A user (5) requests credentials of an emergency account related to the computer system (4) of the renewable power plant (3) from a central access system (2), and the central access (2) system provides the requested credentials to the user (5). The user (5) accesses the computer system (4) of the renewable power plant (3), using the emergency account and the credentials provided by the central access system (2), and performs actions at the computer system (4) of the renewable power plant (3). The computer system (4) communicates to the central access system (2) that the emergency account has been used for accessing the computer system (4). The credentials of the emergency account are refreshed, and the refreshed credentials are shared among the computer system (4) of the renewable power plant (3) and the central access system (2).