In-line Security Device for Industrial End Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial Ethernet end devices often lack sufficient security mechanisms, making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks and internal threats, as they were designed without security considerations or based on limited resources, and existing security measures like firewalls are not foolproof in preventing external attacks.
Innovation Solution
A security device is installed in front of each end device, acting as a proxy to intercept and manage messages, supporting additional services and protocols, and determining access based on security considerations, effectively protecting the end device from external and internal threats by appearing as a single secure entity on the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If firewalls are used to separate the industrial network from other networks, then external security is improved, but the network remains vulnerable to internal threats and infected devices bypassing the firewall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network protection into two layers: a perimeter firewall for external threats and individual host-based security agents on each end device for internal threats. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in specific threat types, with the security agent on each device independently monitoring and blocking malicious activity originating from within the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a security agent as an intermediary component installed on each end device. This agent acts as a local mediator between the device and the network, inspecting traffic bidirectionally and enforcing security policies at the host level, thereby preventing infected devices from compromising the network even when bypassing the firewall.
2Reliability
If security devices are installed on each end device, then individual device security is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds a lightweight security agent directly within each end device, nesting the security functionality inside the existing device architecture. This allows the security agent to operate transparently in the background without requiring separate physical security hardware, thereby improving individual device security while minimizing additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The security agent is designed to autonomously monitor traffic, detect threats, and enforce security policies without requiring constant external intervention. The agent self-manages its operation by continuously analyzing network traffic patterns and automatically responding to detected threats, reducing the operational complexity despite being present on each device.
3Ease of manufacture
If end devices are designed without security mechanisms due to limited resources, then device simplicity and resource efficiency are improved, but security vulnerability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates security functionality into the end device during the manufacturing or initial setup phase by installing the security agent beforehand. This preliminary action ensures that security mechanisms are already in place before the device connects to the network, protecting vulnerable devices without requiring complex redesigns or additional resource allocation during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the invention provide apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media for providing security to an end device (209) by a security device (205). The security device is typically installed in front of the end device. The combination of the end device and the security device appear as a single secure end device from the network having a network address of the original end device. The security device may include a first communications port (405) that receives a message designated for an end device, a second communications port (407) that connects directly to the end device, and a processor (401) that is connected to the first and second communications ports. The processor is configured to determine whether to pass the message to the end device based on at least one security consideration and to provide at least one service that is not originally supported on the end device.