GE MiCOM P40 Agile Technical Manual page 589

Cyber Security
MiCOM P40 Agile P441, P442, P444
1. OVERVIEW
In the past, substation networks were traditionally isolated and the protocols and data
formats used to transfer information between devices were more often than not proprietary.
For these reasons, the substation environment was very secure against cyber attacks. The
terms used for this inherent type of security are:
• Security by isolation (if the substation network is not connected to the outside
world, it can't be accessed from the outside world).
• Security by obscurity (if the formats and protocols are proprietary, it is very difficult,
to interpret them.
The increasing sophistication of protection schemes coupled with the advancement of
technology and the desire for vendor interoperability has resulted in standardization of
networks and data interchange within substations. Today, devices within substations use
standardized protocols for communication. Furthermore, substations can be interconnected
with open networks, such as the internet or corporate-wide networks, which use
standardized protocols for communication. This introduces a major security risk making the
grid vulnerable to cyber-attacks, which could in turn lead to major electrical outages.
Clearly, there is now a need to secure communication and equipment within substation
environments. This chapter describes the security measures that have been put in place for
General Electric's range of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs).
P44x/EN CS/Hb6
(CS) 15-5