IEEE Draft Standard for a Cryptographic Protocol for Cyber Security of Substation Serial Links: Substation Serial Protection Protocol

The elevated concern of cyber security throughout the power industry has created a need to protect communications in the EPS. This standard defines a cryptographic protocol known as Serial Guard Protocol 1 (SGP1) that can protect the integrity and optional confidentiality of asynchronous serial communications throughout the EPS such as those typically used by substation equipment. SGP1 is primarily intended to protect serial SCADA communications, but can be applied to other serial communications - such as the maintenance ports of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). SGP1 is largely independent of the underlying communications link and protocol (e.g. Modbus, Distributed Network Protocol 3 [DNP3]), and is appropriate for serial communications over leased lines, dial-up lines, multi-drop links radio, power line carrier, fiber optic, etc. SGP1 is suitable for implementation in new equipment or for deployment in bump-in-the-wire devices retrofitting protection to existing systems.