Protecting PROFINET cyclic real-time traffic: A performance evaluation and verification platform

Abstract

PROFINET is a widely adopted, real-time capable Industrial Ethernet standard, that as other automation system technologies, is subject to an increasing level of vertical integration into company's existing IT infrastructure. This integration exposes automation systems to well-known cyber attacks, which leads to a growing need for suitable security solutions. The challenge in protecting PROFINET automation systems is ensuring the suitability of solutions for use with minimal PROFINET cycle times of 250 μs needed to fulfill high-speed motion control market expectations. We develop a prototype of a transparent security switch, designed to apply protection mechanisms on-the-fly. We use this platform to test an initial implementation of a protection system, present preliminary results and further work.