New Modbus-IDA certified security solution addresses US government security concerns.
Byres Security and MTL Instruments have introduced the Tofino Modbus TCP Enforcer loadable security module (LSM), which performs detailed analysis and filtering of all Modbus TCP messages, and is certified by Modbus-IDA. It allows owners of control and scada systems to regulate Modbus network traffic to a level of detail that was previously not possible, thereby increasing network security, reliability and performance of critical systems.
‘Deep packet’ or ‘content’ inspection for web e-mail or traffic has been offered in IT firewalls for several years, but nothing has been available for the process control and scada environment. Modbus traffic could either be allowed or blocked by a standard firewall, but fine-grained control was impossible. And since the smooth flow of Modbus TCP traffic is critical to the average industrial facility, engineers usually opted to let everything pass and take their chances with security. Industry experts have been urgently calling for better control of scada protocols.
Recently, a major US government agency warned: “Vulnerability has been identified within the firmware upgrade processes used in control systems deployed in critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). Development of a mitigation plan is required to protect the nation’s CIKR through vulnerability mitigation steps that include blocking network firmware upgrades with appropriate firewall rules.”
Two major energy companies and a transportation company have tried the Tofino ModbusTCP Enforcer LSM and are excited by how it allows them to follow government guidelines and enhance both system security and stability. Modbus functions can now be restricted in numerous ways:
* Blocking all firmware upgrades while allowing normal HMI traffic.
* Tailoring appropriate Modbus access permissions to PLCs for different stations.
* Restricting Modbus access permissions to specific memory locations in a controller.
* Enforcing read-only access to safety instrumented systems.
The complete Tofino industrial security solution consists of three core components:
* Tofino Security Appliance – an industrially hardened and certified appliance that is installed in front of individual and/or zones of HMI, DCS, PLC or RTU control devices that require protection.
* Tofino LSM – a variety of software plug-ins providing security services such as firewall, secure asset management and VPN encryption. Each LSM is downloaded into the security appliances to allow them to offer customisable security functions, depending on the requirements of the control system.
* Tofino Central Management Platform – a centralised management system and database for monitoring, supervision and configuration of each security appliance. One CMP can manage one or more LSMs.
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