Secure Pg/Hmi Communication; Pg/Hmi Communication Based On Standardized Security Mechanisms - Siemens SIMATIC ET 200AL System Manual

Communications services
3.6 Secure Communication
Additional information
You can find more information about the system data types TMail_V4_SEC and
TMAIL_QDN_SEC in the STEP 7 online help.
For additional information on secure communication, refer to the section Secure
Communication (Page 40).
3.6.4

Secure PG/HMI communication

3.6.4.1

PG/HMI communication based on standardized security mechanisms

With the central components of the TIA Portal, STEP 7 and WinCC, an innovative and
standardized Secure PG/PC and HMI Communication - PG/HMI communication for short - is
implemented starting with version V17 together with the latest controllers and latest HMI
devices.
The following CPU families are referred to in detail:
• S7-1500 controller family as of firmware version V2.9
• S7-1200 controller family as of firmware version V4.5
• Software controllers as of firmware version V21.9
• SIMATIC Drive controllers as of firmware version V2.9
• PLCSim and PLCSim Advanced Version V4.0
HMI components have also been updated to support Secure PG/HMI Communication:
• Panels or PCs configured with WinCC Basic, Comfort and Advanced
• PCs with WinCC RT Professional
• WinCC Unified PCs and Comfort Panels
Also updated are SINAMICS RT SW as of version V6.1 and STARTDRIVE as of version V17.
Properties of PG/HMI communication
One characteristic of PG communication and HMI communication above all is their simplicity:
Establishing an online connection from a programming device with installed TIA Portal to a
CPU, for example, to load a program, requires little effort. This online connection also meets
criteria such as confidentiality and integrity - based on a proven SIMATIC communication
standard.
In the course of integrating machines and systems into an open IT environment, however, it
must be ensured that the communication between the programming device / HMI device and
the CPU is not only secure in the sense of maintaining integrity and confidentiality for
sensitive data but also that this security meets generally accepted standards and is thus ready
for the challenges of the future.
With TIA Portal version V14, the "Open User Communication" procedure for communication
based on user programs has already been extended by the "Secure Open User
Communication" variant. Other certificate-based communication mechanisms have become
established (HTTPS, Secure SMTP over TLS or OPC UA). As of TIA Portal Version V17, PG/HMI
communication has also been upgraded: Here, too, the TLS (Transport Layer Security)
protocol is used to secure PG/HMI communication using standardized security mechanisms.
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Communication