Wireless Adaptor Firewall for Industrial Instrument Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial process control and automation systems face challenges in securing field instruments from configuration changes and cybersecurity threats due to the lack of protection in industrial wireless protocols, which slows the adoption of wireless technologies.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating built-in firewalls into wireless adaptors and gateways to block unauthorized commands and protect field instruments, using processors to execute firewall instructions and filter out unintended configuration changes or alert systems of changes, thereby enhancing cybersecurity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wireless protocols are used for data acquisition and monitoring in industrial control systems, then deployment speed and cost are improved, but cybersecurity reliability and protection against unauthorized access deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidcybersecurity reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a wireless adaptor as an intermediary device between the wireless network and field instruments. This adaptor includes a processor that executes firewall instructions to filter and block unauthorized commands while allowing legitimate data acquisition and monitoring traffic to pass through, thus resolving the contradiction between wireless deployment benefits and cybersecurity risks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary security measures by pre-configuring firewall rules in the wireless adaptor before connecting to field instruments. The processor is programmed with instructions to identify and block potentially harmful commands based on predefined criteria, preventing cybersecurity threats before they can affect the industrial control system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If wireless adaptors without firewalls are used, then device complexity is reduced, but vulnerability to configuration changes and cybersecurity threats increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptor complexityVSAvoidvulnerability to threats

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the firewall security function directly into the wireless adaptor device. The processor of the wireless adaptor executes firewall instructions, combining networking and security functions in a single device. This integration provides protection against configuration changes and cybersecurity threats without significantly increasing the perceived device complexity for end users

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11265293B2Wireless adaptor and wireless gateway having built-in firewalls for secure access to instruments

Publication Date: 2022.03.01 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

An apparatus and method is disclosed for the secure access to field instruments. An interface device that includes a built-in firewall, is communicatively coupled between the device manager of an industrial automation process control system and a network of field instruments. The interface device includes at least one processor configured to execute instructions that provides a firewall for the one or more field instruments by blocking one or more user selected commands from being sent to the field instruments from the device manager.