Interface Category 11: Interface between Sensors and Sensor Networks for Measuring Environmental Parameters

Logical Interface Characteristics

Description of Interface Category Types of Data Standards used for these Categories Cybersecurity Requirements Cybersecurity Concerns and Failures

Category 11:

Interface between sensors and sensor networks for measuring environmental parameters, usually simple sensor devices with possibly analog measurements, e.g.

  • Between a temperature sensor on a transformer and its receiver

Logical Interfaces:

  • U111

Real-time power system data:

  • alarms
  • status
  • measurements
  • control settings
  • control commands

Maintenance data:

  • equipment health data
  • event logs
  • updated settings
  • configuration updates
  • software updates

Information standards:

 

Network standards:

  • Wide Area Networks, as defined in the profiles of the standards

 

Cybersecurity standards

 

Cybersecurity requirements::

  • Availability = H
  • Integrity = H
  • Confidentiality = L
  • Privacy = L

NISTIR 7628 Catalog of Security Requirements

  • SG.AC-14 Permitted Actions without Identification or Authentication
  • SG.IA-4 User Identification and Authentication
  • SG.IA-5 Device Identification and Authentication
  • SG.IA-6 Authenticator Feedback
  • SG.SC-3 Security Function Isolation
  • SG.SC-5 Denial-of-Service Protection
  • SG.SC-7 Boundary Protection
  • SG.SC-8 Communication Integrity
  • SG.SC-9 Communication Confidentiality (?)
  • SG.SI-7 Software and Information Integrity

Cybersecurity Concerns & Failures:

  • Denial of service
  • Lost data
  • Modified data
  • Unvalidated data
  • Late data
  • Lack of data quality information
  • Lack of alarms or event notifications
  • Lack of alternate sources of critical information
  • Invalid commands