February 7, 2005—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has developed the SEL-3021 Serial Encrypting Transceiver, designed to protect existing and new communications links between power control centers, electrical substations, and generating plants. Schweitzer is a leading manufacturer of protection, monitoring control, automation, and metering equipment.
Instrumentation and control systems operate and monitor critical infrastructure components. Today, says the company, there are real threats of malicious physical and cyber attacks on these systems, making their protection and security more important than ever.
Schweitzer explains that an attacker, for example, can secretly monitor sensitive information on data links, or send messages to operate equipment or change settings. Attackers could steal data that would identify biggest customers, usage patterns, delivered power quality, and production rates, or to identify physical targets. Worse yet, imagine the problems they could cause by commanding breakers to open or close, machines to stop or start, and gates or valves to open or close.
The SEL-3021 protects critical infrastructure from attack and complies with industry requirements and recommendations. It uses encryption and session authentication, and locks out unauthorized control.
For more information, visit the Schweitzer Web site.
