International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems · 2009 · 10 citations · 3 references
ComputingComputer ScienceSystems EngineeringComputer SecurityNetwork SecuritySecurity ArchitectureAccess ControlNetwork Security ArchitectureSafety SystemsSecure Network ArchitectureSecure Remote AccessSecurity SystemsAutonomous Safety SystemsLayered Network ArchitectureNatural GasNetwork Layer SecurityRemote Access SecuritySafety In Autonomous SystemsSecure Remote ConnectivitySecurity Infrastructure
Safety instrumented systems (SIS) as defined in IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 are very important for the safety of offshore oil and natural gas installations. Partly as a consequence of the evolving 'integrated operations' concept, a need is emerging for remote access to such systems from vendors external to the operating company. This access will pass through a number of IP-based networks used for other purposes, including the open internet. This raises a number of security issues, ultimately threatening the safety integrity of SIS. In this article, we present a layered network architecture that represents current good practice for a solution to ensure secure remote access to SIS. Also, a method for assessing whether a given solution for remote access to SIS is acceptable is described.
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