Patent ID: 11889002
Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for authenticating industrial devices associated with an industrial process in an industrial automation environment, the method comprising:
extracting, by an industrial device comprising a processor, a physical unclonable function response of the industrial device, wherein the industrial device is associated with the industrial process in the industrial automation environment;
in response to receiving a request for a security certificate from a system, transmitting, by the industrial device, the security certificate signed by a certificate authority that includes a device public key associated with the industrial device, wherein the system validates the security certificate, encrypts an authentication challenge comprising a random number for the industrial device using the device public key, and transmits the authentication challenge for delivery to the industrial device;
in response to receiving the authentication challenge, generating, by the industrial device, a device private key using the physical unclonable function response of the industrial device and decrypting the authentication challenge using the device private key;
generating, by the industrial device, an authentication response by applying a predetermined mathematical function to the random number, wherein the predetermined mathematical function is agreed-upon by the industrial device and the system and the predetermined mathematical function is not associated with the device public key; and
encrypting, by the industrial device, the authentication response using the device private key, and transmitting the authentication response for delivery to the system, wherein the system decrypts the authentication response using the device public key and authenticates the industrial device based on the authentication response.