Authenticated In-plant Process Monitor (AIPM)

Year
1993
Author(s)
Patrick Leahy - Sandia National Laboratories
Timothy Draelos - Sandia National Laboratories
Abstract
Transparent and secure process monitoring systems may become an important tool in the dismantlement schemes in support of bilateral and multi-lateral treaties. A prototype system, using public key cryptography1-3 to authenticate compliance data, has been developed by Sandia National Laboratories. The Authenticated In-plant Process Monitor (AIPM) is an embedded process monitoring system capable of accepting up to sixteen industry standard process variables, at sample rates of up to two samples per second. Each AIPM will synchronously sample the process, authenticate, and transmit the data in real-time to the host receiving station. The receiving station will validate the compliance data and then display in real-time while updating a relational database. This new generation of monitoring systems must include protection from a host of possible threat scenarios while providing the user authentic clear text data. Data threats are controlled by the use of a public key Treaty Data Authentication Module1 (TDAM) utilizing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (MIST) Digital Signature Standard2. System threats are minimized by the use of a tamper indicating enclosure that monitors unauthorized entry and environmental attacks3. Insider threats will be controlled by the use of an authenticated bi-directional communication link between each remote AIPM and the host receiving station. This security envelope will be monitored on a real-time basis with appropriate action taken if an attack occurs. The employment of these security features allows the inspectorate to distribute unprocessed clear text data and an attached digital signature with confidence that the data cannot be forged.