Remote Facility Control Signatures Across Segmented Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In plants, changing setting conditions remotely is time-consuming and costly, and there is a need for enhanced security to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the correctness of changes in parameter values set by control equipment.
Innovation Solution
A remote service system that uses multiple computer terminals connected via different networks to add and verify digital signatures for control information, ensuring that only authorized changes are applied to facility settings, with a blockchain-based communication network for secure data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If remote service is implemented using network connectivity, then service efficiency and cost-effectiveness are improved, but security risks and vulnerability to unauthorized access increase
Solution Approach 1:
A blockchain-based intermediary system is introduced between the remote service provider and the facility control system. This blockchain network acts as a trusted mediator that verifies and validates control information before it reaches the facility, preventing unauthorized access while enabling remote service operations. The blockchain's decentralized consensus mechanism ensures that only authenticated control commands are executed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical authentication systems with cryptographic verification based on blockchain technology. Instead of relying on physical security measures or centralized authentication servers, the system uses digital signatures and blockchain consensus to verify control information, providing enhanced security against unauthorized access while maintaining remote service capabilities.
2Reliability
If digital signatures are added to control information, then security and authenticity are improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blockchain network serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides digital signature verification, maintains authentication records, enables consensus validation, and stores control information history. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise be separate security systems into a single unified platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high authenticity standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication by adding digital signatures to control information before it enters the blockchain network. This pre-verification approach ensures that only authenticated commands are processed further, reducing the computational burden during execution and simplifying the overall processing workflow while maintaining high security standards.
3Reliability
If multiple signatures are verified for control information, then security against malicious attacks is improved, but verification time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple digital signatures are added to control information in advance, before the verification process begins. This preliminary action allows the blockchain network to validate all authentication layers simultaneously during consensus reaching, rather than sequentially during verification, significantly reducing the actual verification time while maintaining high security standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The blockchain network's consensus mechanism automatically performs verification of multiple signatures without requiring external intervention. Each node in the network independently validates the control information's authenticity through cryptographic verification, eliminating the need for centralized verification processes and reducing overall verification time while enhancing security through distributed validation.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote service system includes a first computer terminal configured to add a first signature to control information representing control content to be applied to a facility and transmit the control information and a second computer terminal configured to cause the control content represented by the control information to be applied to the facility, wherein the first computer terminal and the second computer terminal are connected by a first communication network and wherein the second computer terminal and the facility are connected by a second communication network.