Securing IEC60870-5-101 Communication Protocol using SCADA Cryptographic and Device Authentication Gateway

Since the renowned Stuxnet attack on the Iranian refinery planet in 2010, there have been many attempts to harden the security of these systems. One of the most significant challenges impacting these systems' security is the outdated and insecure communication protocols that have been used for many years in various sectors. This work presents a practical solution to protect the SCADA's critical communications' confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity. This work put forward a hardware-based general-purpose cryptographic device based on FPGA technology. The device contains a handful of cryptographic algorithms that can be customized to harden the security of devices operating on the IEC 60870-5-101 communication protocol. The experimental results show that the proposed solution enhances the secrecy and integrity of the IEC 60870-5-101 messages and ensures the source's authenticity.