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This paper examines methodologies for monitoring energy consumption and operational parameters of an industrial assembly line, with a particular emphasis on the utilization of virtual tools, augmented reality, and real-time data visualization. The research examines the integration of an interface and the implementation of a data acquisition system, employing augmented reality to facilitate interaction with the collected data. The proposed system employs the Node-RED interface to facilitate the establishment of connections between constituent elements. The data is stored in a database, which provides support for decision-making in the analysis of energy consumption and operational parameters of the industrial assembly line. The results demonstrate that the solution is effective in enhancing energy resource management, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing the performance of industrial equipment. The findings indicate that the implementation of such a system can markedly enhance the industrial process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general evolution of fieldbus systems has been variously affected by both computer electrical engineering and science. First, the main contribution undoubtedly originated from network IT systems, when the Open Systems Interconnection model was presented. This reference model with seven layers was and remains the foundation for the development of numerous advanced communication protocols. In this paper, the conducted research resulted in a major contribution; specifically, it describes the mathematical model for the Modbus protocol and defines the acquisition cycle model that corresponds to incompletely defined protocols in order to provide a timestamp and achieve temporal consistency for proposed Modbus Extension. The derived technical contribution of the authors is to exemplify the functionality of a typical industrial protocol that can be decomposed to improve the performance of data acquisition systems. Research results in this area have significant implications for innovations in industrial automation networking because of increasing distributed installations and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering human influence and its negative impact on the environment, the world will have to transform the current energy system into a cleaner and more sustainable one. In residential as well as office buildings, there is a demand to minimize electricity consumption, improve the automation of electrical appliances and optimize electricity utilization. This paper describes the implementation of a smart switch with extended facilities compared to traditional switches, such as visual indication of evacuation routes in case of fire and acoustic alerts for emergencies. The proposed embedded system implements Modbus RTU serial communication to receive information from a fire alarm-control panel. An extension to the Modbus communication protocol, called Modbus Extended (ModbusE), is also proposed for smart switches and emergency switchboards. The embedded smart switch described in this paper as a scientific and practical contribution in this field, based on a performant microcontroller system, is integrated into the Building Internet of Things (BIoT) concept and uses the innovative ModbusE protocol. The proposed smart lighting system integrates building lighting access control for smart switches and sockets and can be extended to incorporate functionality for smart thermostats, access control and smart sensor-based information acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the need for real-time sag monitoring of Overhead Power Lines (OPL) for electricity transmission, this article presents the implementation of a hardware and software system for online monitoring of OPL cables. The mathematical model based on differential equations and the methods of algorithmic calculation of OPL cable sag are presented. Considering that, based on the mathematical model presented, the calculation of cable sag can be done in different ways depending on the sensors used, and the presented application uses a variety of sensors. Therefore, a direct calculation is made using one of the different methods. Subsequently, the verification relations are highlighted directly, and in return, the calculation by the alternative method, which uses another group of sensors, generates both a verification of the calculation and the functionality of the sensors, thus obtaining a defect observer of the sensors. The hardware architecture of the OPL cable online monitoring application is presented, together with the main characteristics of the sensors and communication equipment used. The configurations required to transmit data using the ModBUS and ZigBee protocols are also presented. The main software modules of the OPL cable condition monitoring application are described, which ensure the monitoring of the main parameters of the power line and the visualisation of the results both on the electricity provider's intranet using a web server and MySQL database, and on the Internet using an Internet of Things (IoT) server. This categorisation of the data visualisation mode is done in such a way as to ensure a high level of cyber security. Also, the global accuracy of the entire OPL cable sag calculus system is estimated at 0.1%. Starting from the mathematical model of the OPL cable sag calculation, it goes through the stages of creating such a monitoring system, from the numerical simulations carried out using Matlab to the real-time implementation of this monitoring application using Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT), numerous machine-to-machine technologies have been applied to the industrial domain. Due to the divergence of IoT solutions, the industry is faced with a need to apply various technologies for automation and control. This fact leads to a demand for an establishing interworking mechanism which would allow smooth interoperability between heterogeneous devices. One of the major protocols widely used today in industrial electronic devices is Modbus. However, data generated by Modbus devices cannot be understood by IoT applications using different protocols, so it should be applied in a couple with an IoT service layer platform. oneM2M, a global IoT standard, can play the role of interconnecting various protocols, as it provides flexible tools suitable for building an interworking framework for industrial services. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an interworking architecture between devices working on the Modbus protocol and an IoT platform implemented based on oneM2M standards. In the proposed architecture, we introduce the way to model Modbus data as oneM2M resources, rules to map them to each other, procedures required to establish interoperable communication, and optimization methods for this architecture. We analyze our solution and provide an evaluation by implementing it based on a solar power management use case. The results demonstrate that our model is feasible and can be applied to real case scenarios.

Industrial Control Systems (ICSs) have become the cornerstone of critical sectors like energy, transportation, and manufacturing. However, the burgeoning interconnectivity of ICSs has also introduced heightened risks from cyber threats. The urgency for robust ICS security validation has never been more pronounced. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of using the MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) framework to validate ICS security. Although originally conceived for enterprise Information Technology (IT), the MITRE ATT&CK framework's adaptability makes it uniquely suited to address ICS-specific security challenges, offering a methodological approach to identifying vulnerabilities and bolstering defence mechanisms. By zeroing in on two pivotal attack scenarios within ICSs and harnessing a suite of security tools, this research identifies potential weak points and proposes solutions to rectify them. Delving into Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), investigating suitable tools, and capturing indicators, this study serves as a critical resource for organisations aiming to fortify their ICS security. Through this lens, we offer tangible recommendations and insights, pushing the envelope in the domain of ICS security validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Smart Grid is a cyber-integrated power grid that manages electricity generation, transmission, and distribution to consumers and central to its functioning is the substation. However, integrating cyber-infrastructure into the substation has increased its attack surface. Notably, sophisticated attacks such as the PipeDream APT exploit multiple device protocols, such as Modbus, DNP3, and IEC61850. The substation’s constraints pose challenges for implementing security measures such as encryption and intrusion detection systems. To address this, we propose a comprehensive trust-based framework aimed at enhancing substation security. The framework comprises a trust model, a risk posture model, and a trust transferability model. The trust model detects protocol-based attacks on Intelligent Electronic Devices and SCADA HMI systems, while the risk posture model dynamically assesses the substation’s risk posture. The trust transferability model evaluates the feasibility of transferring and integrating a device and its trust capabilities into a different substation. The practical substation emulation involves a Docker-based testbed, employing a multi-agent architecture with a real-time Security Operations Center-influenced dashboard. Assessment involves testing against attacks guided by the MITRE ICS ATT&CK framework. Our framework displays resilience against diverse attacks, identifies malicious behavior, and rewards trustworthy devices.

The general evolution of fieldbus systems has been variously affected by both computer electrical engineering and science. First, the main contribution undoubtedly originated from network IT systems, when the Open Systems Interconnection model was presented. This reference model with seven layers was and remains the foundation for the development of numerous advanced communication protocols. In this paper, the conducted research resulted in a major contribution; specifically, it describes the mathematical model for the Modbus protocol and defines the acquisition cycle model that corresponds to incompletely defined protocols in order to provide a timestamp and achieve temporal consistency for proposed Modbus Extension. The derived technical contribution of the authors is to exemplify the functionality of a typical industrial protocol that can be decomposed to improve the performance of data acquisition systems. Research results in this area have significant implications for innovations in industrial automation networking because of increasing distributed installations and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications.

Considering human influence and its negative impact on the environment, the world will have to transform the current energy system into a cleaner and more sustainable one. In residential as well as office buildings, there is a demand to minimize electricity consumption, improve the automation of electrical appliances and optimize electricity utilization. This paper describes the implementation of a smart switch with extended facilities compared to traditional switches, such as visual indication of evacuation routes in case of fire and acoustic alerts for emergencies. The proposed embedded system implements Modbus RTU serial communication to receive information from a fire alarm-control panel. An extension to the Modbus communication protocol, called Modbus Extended (ModbusE), is also proposed for smart switches and emergency switchboards. The embedded smart switch described in this paper as a scientific and practical contribution in this field, based on a performant microcontroller system, is integrated into the Building Internet of Things (BIoT) concept and uses the innovative ModbusE protocol. The proposed smart lighting system integrates building lighting access control for smart switches and sockets and can be extended to incorporate functionality for smart thermostats, access control and smart sensor-based information acquisition.

This paper examines methodologies for monitoring energy consumption and operational parameters of an industrial assembly line, with a particular emphasis on the utilization of virtual tools, augmented reality, and real-time data visualization. The research examines the integration of an interface and the implementation of a data acquisition system, employing augmented reality to facilitate interaction with the collected data. The proposed system employs the Node-RED interface to facilitate the establishment of connections between constituent elements. The data is stored in a database, which provides support for decision-making in the analysis of energy consumption and operational parameters of the industrial assembly line. The results demonstrate that the solution is effective in enhancing energy resource management, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing the performance of industrial equipment. The findings indicate that the implementation of such a system can markedly enhance the industrial process.

The effective operation of distributed energy sources relies significantly on the communication systems employed in microgrids. This article explores the fundamental communication requirements, structures, and protocols necessary to establish a secure connection in microgrids. This article examines the present difficulties facing, and progress in, smart microgrid communication technologies, including wired and wireless networks. Furthermore, it evaluates the incorporation of diverse security methods. This article showcases a case study that illustrates the implementation of a distributed cyber-security communication system in a microgrid setting. The study concludes by emphasizing the ongoing research endeavors and suggesting potential future research paths in the field of microgrid communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifth-generation networks promise wide availability of wireless communication with inherent security features. The 5G standards also outline access for different applications requiring low latency, machine-to-machine communication, or mobile broadband. These networks can be advantageous to numerous applications that require widespread and diverse communications. One such application is found in smart grids. Smart grid networks, and Operational Technology (OT) networks in general, utilize a variety of communication protocols for low-latency control, data monitoring, and reporting at every level. Transitioning these network communications from wired Wide Area Networks (WANs) to wireless communication through 5G can provide additional benefits to their security and network configurability. However, introducing these wireless capabilities may also result in a degradation of network latency. In this paper, we propose utilizing 5G for smart grid communications, and we evaluate the latency impacts of encapsulating GOOSE, Modbus, and DNP3 for transmission over a 5G network. The OpenAirInterface open-source library is utilized to deploy an in-lab 5G Core Network and gNB for testing with off-the-shelf User Equipment (UE). This creates an effective 5G test platform for experimenting with different OT protocols such as GOOSE. The results are validated by measuring two different Intelligent Electronic Devices' contact closure times for each network configuration. These tests are also conducted for varying packet sizes in order to isolate different sources of network latency. Our study outlines the latency impact of communication over 5G for time-critical and non-critical applications regarding their transition toward private 5G-based OT network implementations. The conducted experiments illustrate that in the case of GOOSE packets, simple encapsulation may exceed the protocol's time-critical nature, and, therefore, additional measures must be taken to ensure a viable transition of GOOSE to 5G services. However, non-critical applications are shown to be viable for migration to 5G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with an energy metering system for electricity monitoring for each and every household that is different from the conventional energy meter. This proposed design is meant to be a better alternative for an efficient and more secure line for energy usage by the consumer without any illegal access to their connections so that they don't have to pay for something they aren't accountable for in the first place and protect the supplier/provider, which is the government, from incurring any losses from the theft as well as from customers who tamper with the meter values. These things are vital in today's world. So, we are taking this into account and designing a smart meter with the IoT technology for monitoring data values at the tip of our fingers, readily available at any moment. It serves many purposes, from the monitoring of energy consumption to easily using mobile phones to work on managing the energy usage according to their budget. It is also easy for the supplier to monitor without manually inspecting the location. The WiFi module ESP8266 is used for the purpose of transmitting the energy data to the server. This paper also deals with a smart grid system in which energy meters are used as a two-way communication system as opposed to conventional meters with one-way communication, which will be a more efficient system. This IoT is good in terms of its development towards an easy and advanced metering infrastructure, which also needs secure communication between the supplier and consumer to protect that data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems monitor and control critical infrastructure processes. SCADA systems do not have adequate detection and defense mechanisms against developing cyber attacks and contain many security vulnerabilities. Using SCADA systems in critical infrastructures of national and international importance means new targets for malicious attackers. In addition, using SCADA systems with new technologies brings new perspectives to the security world. When technologies such as SDN are integrated with SCADA systems, it brings advantages to the system regarding manageability and programmability. However, security problems also occur against attacks such as DDoS. For these reasons, it is imperative to ensure the cyber security of SCADA systems. In this study, the case of Software Defined Network (SDN)-based SCADA systems exposed to DDoS attacks are discussed. Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithms have been used for attack detection. A ready-made dataset has been studied, and accordingly, the model that makes the most accurate determination has been proposed in our study. The results show that the proposed SVM classifier model (97.2% accuracy rate) effectively detects DDoS attacks against SDN-based SCADA systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the need for real-time sag monitoring of Overhead Power Lines (OPL) for electricity transmission, this article presents the implementation of a hardware and software system for online monitoring of OPL cables. The mathematical model based on differential equations and the methods of algorithmic calculation of OPL cable sag are presented. Considering that, based on the mathematical model presented, the calculation of cable sag can be done in different ways depending on the sensors used, and the presented application uses a variety of sensors. Therefore, a direct calculation is made using one of the different methods. Subsequently, the verification relations are highlighted directly, and in return, the calculation by the alternative method, which uses another group of sensors, generates both a verification of the calculation and the functionality of the sensors, thus obtaining a defect observer of the sensors. The hardware architecture of the OPL cable online monitoring application is presented, together with the main characteristics of the sensors and communication equipment used. The configurations required to transmit data using the ModBUS and ZigBee protocols are also presented. The main software modules of the OPL cable condition monitoring application are described, which ensure the monitoring of the main parameters of the power line and the visualisation of the results both on the electricity provider’s intranet using a web server and MySQL database, and on the Internet using an Internet of Things (IoT) server. This categorisation of the data visualisation mode is done in such a way as to ensure a high level of cyber security. Also, the global accuracy of the entire OPL cable sag calculus system is estimated at 0.1%. Starting from the mathematical model of the OPL cable sag calculation, it goes through the stages of creating such a monitoring system, from the numerical simulations carried out using Matlab to the real-time implementation of this monitoring application using Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW).

Industrial control systems (ICS) like supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems play a crucial role in monitoring and controlling various process industries in national critical infrastructures. They are connecting to internet and highly inter-connected corporate networks for sharing the field data to third party heterogeneous systems like enterprise resource planning, third party SCADA systems etc. Even though it helps to share the data for monitoring and control of systems, it also opens the doors for cyber-attacks. It needs to strengthen the cyber security of these SCADA systems. There are various components in SCADA systems which requires to build security in these components. Generally, most of the SCADA systems uses MODBUS communication protocol for scanning the PLC devices to acquire the field data. The communication protocol security is one of the main components which was little addressed. The MODBUS protocol was developed without security in mind because security aspect was not a concern in closed environments of industrial control systems. It is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. There are some methods already developed by scholars to implement security in MODBUS protocol, but the existing methods modified the MODBUS frame formats. Hence, they are not suitable to the existing legacy systems because they do not support interoperability between various industry manufacturer's products. Another critical problem in existing methods is all the required security features were not implemented in a single method which would satisfy the security features like integrity, confidentiality, non-repudiation, authorization and authentication. In this paper, we designed and developed a new method by developing Secure Modbus Gateway Server and Client modules to provide secure data transfer between data acquisition servers and PLCs. In this methodology, the modules were developed using RSA and AES algorithms for achieving confidentiality and non-repudiation, SHA algorithm to provide integrity of the message. These modules also support authorization and authentication features. The time stamp in the Modbus frame was also included and transmitted to prevent replay attacks. The advantages of these modules/methodology are, it supports all required features for secure data transfer like integrity, confidentiality, non-repudiation, authorization and authentication. They also provide time stamp, frame filtering and exception response alarm triggering features. These modules also support interoperability and they can be easily installed in existing legacy systems. We measured performance metrics like attack resilience rate (ARP), attack penetration rate (APR) and overheads. This method protects the ICS system for 97% of attacks. The overhead on protocol was also calculated and it is found that 3.5% extra delay in round trip time which is very minor and can be tolerated in exchange of the important security benefits offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of technology, more malicious traffic data brought negative influences on industrial areas. Modbus protocol plays a momentous role in the communications of Industrial Control Systems (ICS), but it's vulnerable to Denial of Service attacks(DoS). Traditional detection methods cannot perform well on fine-grained detection tasks which could contribute to locating targets of attacks and preventing the destruction. Considering the temporal locality and high dimension of malicious traffic, this paper proposed a Neural Network architecture named MODLSTM, which consists of three parts: input preprocessing, feature recoding, and traffic classification. By virtue of the design, MODLSTM can form continuous stream semantics based on fragmented packets, discover potential low-dimensional features and finally classify traffic at a fine-grained level. To test the model's performances, some experiments were conducted on industrial and public datasets, and the models achieved excellent performances in comparison with previous work(accuracy increased by 0.71% and 0.07% respectively). The results show that the proposed method has more satisfactory abilities to detect DoS attacks related to Modbus, compared with other works. It could help to build a reliable firewall to address a variety of malicious traffic in diverse situations, especially in industrial environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifth-generation networks promise wide availability of wireless communication with inherent security features. The 5G standards also outline access for different applications requiring low latency, machine-to-machine communication, or mobile broadband. These networks can be advantageous to numerous applications that require widespread and diverse communications. One such application is found in smart grids. Smart grid networks, and Operational Technology (OT) networks in general, utilize a variety of communication protocols for low-latency control, data monitoring, and reporting at every level. Transitioning these network communications from wired Wide Area Networks (WANs) to wireless communication through 5G can provide additional benefits to their security and network configurability. However, introducing these wireless capabilities may also result in a degradation of network latency. In this paper, we propose utilizing 5G for smart grid communications, and we evaluate the latency impacts of encapsulating GOOSE, Modbus, and DNP3 for transmission over a 5G network. The OpenAirInterface open-source library is utilized to deploy an in-lab 5G Core Network and gNB for testing with off-the-shelf User Equipment (UE). This creates an effective 5G test platform for experimenting with different OT protocols such as GOOSE. The results are validated by measuring two different Intelligent Electronic Devices’ contact closure times for each network configuration. These tests are also conducted for varying packet sizes in order to isolate different sources of network latency. Our study outlines the latency impact of communication over 5G for time-critical and non-critical applications regarding their transition toward private 5G-based OT network implementations. The conducted experiments illustrate that in the case of GOOSE packets, simple encapsulation may exceed the protocol’s time-critical nature, and, therefore, additional measures must be taken to ensure a viable transition of GOOSE to 5G services. However, non-critical applications are shown to be viable for migration to 5G.

As a promising industrial wireless network technology, 5G URLLC is playing a key role in industrial control systems which employ different kinds of industrial control protocols. This leaves a significant challenge in how to adapt 5G URLLC with existing industrial control protocols and develop novel industrial wireless controllers. Motivated by this, this paper investigates the protocol adaptation and experimental evaluations for the development of a 5G-based industrial wireless controller prototype. Specifically, using the globally used industrial protocol Modbus as an example, we first deeply analyze the characteristics of the data packet format and the communication time sequence of Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, and 5G protocols. Then, we propose a protocol resolution and conversion scheme for the protocol adaptation between Modbus RTU/Modbus TCP and 5G. Furthermore, we develop a wireless programmable logic controller (PLC) prototype system based on 5G. To evaluate the protocol adaptation scheme and the developed prototype, we perform extensive experiments to test the reliability and latency. The results demonstrate that the latency of the protocol adaptation scheme is smaller than that of protocol transparent transmission without resolution and conversion, while the reliability loss is not large. Moreover, the speed and reliability for the protocol adaptation between Modbus TCP and 5G are better than those between Modbus RTU and 5G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary function of a distributed bus is to connect sensors, actuators, and control units that are used for an acquisition process. Application domains, such as industrial monitoring and control systems, manufacturing processes, or building automation, present different requirements that are not exactly invariable and coherent. Updating data from Modbus-type devices involves updating data through a technique called polling, which involves repeatedly scanning the registers from each device. This paper highlights the performance of Modbus communication, considering scenarios in which distributed devices are integrated and accessed registers are or are not at consecutive addresses. The Modbus protocol allows reading one or more holding-type data registers. If the registers are not at consecutive addresses, multiple requests are required, with implications for the real-time characteristics of the data acquisition system. We studied the data update times within the SMARTConvert application when variable numbers of registers are accessed, and we designed an extension for the Modbus protocol. The major reason Modbus is used in current research is that no assumptions are required about application semantics, and the performance/resource ratio for generic services is excellent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the rapid global development of industrial technologies and the resulting rapid growth in the production lines of industry and manufacturing, traditional manufacturing must become intelligent and automated, and undergo the process of informatization. Machines can reduce human errors, replace manpower, and even work better than manpower in certain aspects. Over recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been applied in a wide range of fields. IoT helps control all the production information of factories in real time, and accordingly, reduces labor cost, improves quality, efficiently handles exceptions, and swiftly meets market demands, and how to achieve such a goal is a focus of current studies. This study proposes an IoT-based communication system that can monitor the operations of robotic arms and return data to users through a system interface in real time. This communication system is based on Fieldbus as the system architecture, and utilizes HIWIN Company (HI-tech WINner) Robot System Software (HRSS) and an electric gripper's intelligent measurement function to collect and analyze data. On this basis, this study efficiently determines whether the quality of products meets the standard, and uses the Weintek human-machine interface to remotely adjust robotic arms to achieve intelligent monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few developments have changed the evolution of the automation process as substantially as the development of industrial local area networks and communication protocols. Especially fieldbus systems, networks created for the lowest levels of the automation hierarchy, have an enormous influence on the flexibility and performance of modern automation systems in all application areas. The technique of updating data on Modbus type devices involves a procedure of reading data at regular time intervals called polling. Some automation processes include interdependence between different control variables belonging to different hardware devices. This paper presents and analyzes various scenarios related to a variable architecture configuration of physical modules based on Modbus communication protocol. The proposed Modbus Extension (ModbusE) concept is presented by defining the new optimized message format, and the structure of the acquisition cycle to obtain a deterministic temporal behavior, solutions for describing devices at the Modbus protocol level being presented. The status update of each Modbus module is done according to the address of the device, but also the number of registers per device. The paper analyses the worst-case scenario of communication involving Modbus devices on the same network and exchanging data corresponding to one or more server registers.

Parallel operation by multiple power converters is typical in microgrids. The communication method for parallel control mainly applies MODBUS RTU (Remote Terminal Unit), and the control performance largely depends on the communication speed. This paper proposes a new communication method that enables fast and accurate communication between master and slave systems combined in parallel using the PWM and capture functions of DSP used as the power converter controller. In the proposed communication method, the transmitting side uses the PWM function of DSP to generate a pulse waveform whose pulse width changes according to the reference command and transmits it to the receiving side. Suppose the capture function of the receiving side DSP is set to the time difference rising and falling edge mode. The set event occurs when the capture signal is detected and initializes the counter value to zero. At this time, it detects the counter signal and receives data. We explain the proposed communication method’s principle, characteristics, and noise-canceling method and evaluate the accuracy and stability through data transmission and reception experiments. Finally, three 10kW single-phase electronic loads are connected to the R, S, and T phases to form a three-phase electronic load, and a master and two slaves are designated. The validity of the proposed communication method is verified through the current control response according to the command.

This paper proposes an anomaly detection and classification method for industrial control systems (ICSs). The proposed method is based on network traffic data of industrial field protocols like Modbus TCP and S7 Communication. First, the denoising autoencoder (DAE) is utilized to reduce data noise and extract core features from data. Second, the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and the Tomek link (T-Link) mechanism are employed to oversample and undersample data for addressing the data imbalance problem. Finally, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is used to leverage the ensemble learning concept to avoid overfitting for achieving good performance. A real-life railway industry ICS dataset called Electra is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, and the evaluation results are compared with those of other related methods. The proposed method is shown to have the highest (100%) precision, recall and F1-score for anomaly detection, and have fairly high performance of anomaly classification. The contribution of this paper is to show that integrating the DAE, SMOTE, T-Link, and XGBoost schemes can achieve the highest or extremely high performance in the aspect of ICS anomaly detection and classification based on network traffic. The computational complexity and convergence analyses of the proposed method are also provided in this paper. Furthermore, the code implementing the proposed method is released for public access through IEEE Code Ocean so that the effectiveness and the applicability of the method can be validated.

The Zero Trust concept is being adopted in information technology (IT) deployments, while human users remain to be the main risk for operational technology (OT) deployments. This article proposes to enhance the new Modbus/TCP Security protocol with authentication and authorization functions that guarantee security against intentional unauthorized access. It aims to comply with the principle of never trusting the person who is accessing the network before carrying out a security check. Two functions are tested and used in order to build an access control method that is based on a username and a password for human users with knowledge of industrial automation control systems (IACS), using simple means, low motivation, and few resources. A man-in-the-middle (MITM) component was added in order to intermediate the client and the server communication and to validate these functions. The proposed scenario was implemented using the Node-RED programming platform. The tests implementing the functions and the access control method through the Node-RED software have proven their potential and their applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compromised Smart Grid, or its components, can have cascading effects that can affect lives. This has led to numerous cybersecurity-centric studies focusing on the Smart Grid in research areas such as encryption, intrusion detection and prevention, privacy and trust. Even though trust is an essential component of cybersecurity research; it has not received considerable attention compared to the other areas within the context of Smart Grid. As of the time of this study, we observed that there has neither been a study assessing trust within the Smart Grid nor were there trust models that could detect malicious attacks within the substation. With these two gaps as our objectives, we began by presenting a mathematical formalization of trust within the context of Smart Grid devices. We then categorized the existing trust-based literature within the Smart Grid under the NIST conceptual domains and priority areas, multi-agent systems and the derived trust formalization. We then proposed a novel substation-based trust model and implemented a Modbus variation to detect final-phase attacks. The variation was tested against two publicly available Modbus datasets (EPM and ATENA H2020) under three kinds of tests, namely external, internal, and internal with IP-MAC blocking. The first test assumes that external substation adversaries remain so and the second test assumes all adversaries within the substation. The third test assumes the second test but blacklists any device that sends malicious requests. The tests were performed from a Modbus server's point of view and a Modbus client's point of view. Aside from detecting the attacks within the dataset, our model also revealed the behaviour of the attack datasets and their influence on the trust model components. Being able to detect all labelled attacks in one of the datasets also increased our confidence in the model in the detection of attacks in the other dataset. We also believe that variations of the model can be created for other OT-based protocols as well as extended to other critical infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]