Cryptographic Protection of SCADA Communications for Water Systems #2969

Project Summary: Water Research Foundation contributed funding to a larger Gas Technology Institute project that will develop a standard suite of algorithms and protocols to provide cyber-security for low speed or legacy SCADA systems. Results from the project will be reviewed (as AGA 12, parts 1 and 2) by the American Gas Association and are called AGA 12. Research partner: GTI.

Project Details RFP Abstract Scope of Work Project Update Participants Supporting Resources Project Profile / Order Report

Contractor: Gas Technology Institute

Project Manager: Maureen Hodgins

Funded: 2003              Completion Year: 2010              Funding Amount: $993,856.76

Goal Area: Management and Customer Relations

Related Topics: Distribution Systems Operations,  Information Management,  Information Technology,  Management,  Policies,  SCADA Systems,  Security

Benefits to the Drinking Water Supply Community:
Because water, gas, and electric SCADA systems have a great deal in common, it makes technical and economic sense for all three industries to cooperate in developing cryptography. Many of the manufacturers are the same, so a single standard would eliminate the cost for the manufacturers to develop separate cryptographic techniques, to engineer separate RTUs and hosts, and to incur the substantial costs of certification separately. Most of the issues of a real-time operating system with exposed communication links are similar for all three industries, so it makes sense to solve the same problem only one time and share the results.