Security features of a generic sensor data acquisition system

In building automation IP based network infrastructures aim to reduce facility management costs remarkably by allowing multiple applications to use the one communication network at the same time. This open approach requires a secure and confidential interaction between sensors and users. Data encryption is a suitable solution to ensure this secure transmission inside IP computer networks. The evaluation of different cryptographic methods has shown that RSA and AES fulfill the requirements for a secure communication. This paper presents the concepts for the registration process, the communication between users and sensors and the update process of new sensors and outlines the tests in order to validate the functionality of the concept.