System and method for security authentication of power system

A method for security authentication of a power system includes transmitting, by at least one power system, a signal for requesting performing authentication on at least one remote control server or an external terminal with which the power system is to perform communication, to an authentication server, receiving, by the power system, an authentication certificate generated by the authentication server, and perform authentication on the remote control server or the external terminal by using the authentication certificate, and when authentication is completed by the authentication server, performing communication, by the power system, with the authentication-completed remote control server or the external terminal through an open-type communication network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(a), this application claims the benefit of earlier filing date and right of priority to Korean Application No. 10-2012-0136507, filed on Nov. 28, 2012, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for security authentication of a power system.

2. Background of the Invention

Recently, as the Internet extends to cover a wide area, high quality video stream service and audio service can be used. A stream scheme includes a unicast scheme and a multicast scheme. A unicast scheme refers to communication between a single sender and a single receiver in the Internet, and a multicast scheme refers to communication between a single sender and multiple receivers.

Namely, a current power system communication network is a closed-type network using a dedicated communication network, like a unicast scheme, which has a high degree of security reliability with respect to data and authority to control, but its structures is not appropriate to employ an open-type communication network as a smart grid.

A smart grid, combining IT technologies to an existing power system, is a next-generation power network capable of maximizing energy efficiency. However, unlike an existing closed-type communication network, a smart grid uses an open-type communication network, and thus, data security and data reliability may be very low.

Thus, alteration of a communication network into an open-type communication network to implement a smart grid may weaken communication security between a power system and control devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an aspect of the detailed description is to provide an apparatus and method for security authentication of a power system capable of configuring a power system such that it interworks with an open-type communication network (Internet), thus utilizing the system variously.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide an apparatus and method for security authentication of a power system capable of configuring a power system such that it interworks with an open-type communication network (Internet) and performing communication with high reliability in terms of security through mutual authentication between targets for performing communication.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of this specification, as embodied and broadly described herein, a method for security authentication of a power system, includes: transmitting, by at least one power system, a signal for requesting performing authentication on at least one remote control server or an external terminal with which the power system is to perform communication, to an authentication server; receiving, by the power system, an authentication certificate generated by the authentication server, and perform authentication on the remote control server or the external terminal by using the authentication certificate; and when authentication is completed by the authentication server, performing communication, by the power system, with the authentication-completed remote control server or the external terminal through an open-type communication network.

The performing of authentication by using the authentication certificate may include: receiving the authentication certificate generated by the authentication server; performing communication authentication with a server of a communication target by using the authentication certificate; sharing a symmetric key with the authentication-completed remote control server; encrypting data desired to be transmitted by using the symmetric key; transmitting the encrypted data; and decrypting, by the remote control server, the received encrypted data by using the shared symmetric key to obtain the data.

The receiving of the authentication certificate generated by the authentication server may include: transmitting a public key to the authentication server; and receiving, by the authentication server, the authentication certificate generated by using the public key.

The sharing of the symmetric key with the remote control server may include: receiving a public key from the remote control server; encrypting the symmetric key by using the received public key; and transmitting the encrypted symmetric key to the corresponding remote control server.

In the case of the system and method for security authentication of a power system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a power system can perform multi-communication by using an open-type communication network.

In the case of the system and method for security authentication of a power system according to an embodiment of the present invention, communication with high reliability can be performed through an open-type communication network.

In the case of the system and method for security authentication of a power system according to an embodiment of the present invention, an external system, a mobile device, and the like, are allowed to access in various manners, and thus, the system with high utilization can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is a block diagram of a system for security authentication of a power system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

The system for security authentication of a power system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied may include at least one power system11or12, a remote control server20, an authentication server30, and at least one external terminal.

The power system11or12may produce power and distribute the produced power to a destination. Also, the power system11or12may make the produced power into data and transmit the data to the remote control server20and the designated external terminal40. Also, the power system11or12may receive a control signal from the remote controller server20or the external terminal which has been mutually authenticated, and may be controlled by the corresponding signal.

The remote control server20may collect power data from at least one power system11and12and generate a control signal of the corresponding power system. The remote control server20according to an embodiment of the present invention may be authenticated through the authentication server30and perform authentication and data transmission and reception by using a public key and a symmetric key with the power systems. Also, the remote control server20may be connected to the external terminal40and transmit the data obtained from the power systems11and12to the external terminal40.

The authentication serer30issues an authentication certificate to the power systems11and12, the remote control server20, and the external terminal40. Since the authentication server30performs communication by using a public key algorithm according to an embodiment of the present invention, it may generate and distribute a public key authentication certificate.

The external terminal40may include various types of mobile terminals, and the like. The external terminal40according to an embodiment of the present invention may be authenticated through the authentication server30, performs mutual authentication with at least one power system11or12or the remote control server20to obtain data from the power system11or12or the remote control server.

FIG. 2is a flow chart illustrating a communication authentication operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the power system11or12and the remote control server20according to an embodiment of the present invention perform authentication by using the authentication server30.

The authentication server30may receive a public key from the at least one power system11or12, the remote control server20, or the external terminal40(S202).

The authentication server30may generate a private key of the power system11or12and the remote control server20with reference to the received public key (S204) and store the generated private key (S206). The authentication server30generates an authentication certificate by using the generated and stored private key and public key (S208) and distribute the generated authentication certificate to the corresponding power system11or12and the remote control server20(S210).

Upon receiving the distributed authentication certificate from the authentication server30, the corresponding power system11or12and the remote control server20may perform authentication for communication by using the authentication certificate.

FIG. 3is a flow chart illustrating an operation of performing mutual authentication between communication target devices according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, the corresponding power system11and the remote control server20which have received the authentication certificate distributed by the authentication server30perform mutual authentication for performing data communication.

The power system11receives a public key from the remote control server20(S302). The power system11, which has received the public key from the remote control server20, encrypts a symmetric key by using the received public key (S304).

The power system11may transmit the encrypted symmetric key to the corresponding remote control server30(S306).

The remote control server20may decrypt the encrypted symmetric key received from the power system11by using a private key (S308).

The remote control server20may obtain the decrypted symmetric key by using the private key (S310) and store the symmetric key of the power system11which desires to perform communication (S312).

Also, the power system11may transmit the public key to the remote control server20and decrypt the encrypted symmetrical key received from the remote control server20to obtain and store the symmetric key of the remote control server20with which the power system11desires to perform communication.

Thus, by sharing the symmetric key with respect to the targets with which communication is desired to be performed mutually, mutual authentication for communication can be completed.

Hereinafter, a data transmission and reception between the mutually authenticated power system11and the remote control server20will be described.

FIG. 4is a flow chart illustrating an operation of transmitting and receiving data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, the mutually authenticated power system11and the remote control server20are in a standby mode for transmitting and receiving data and control signals. In the standby mode, the power system11may collect power data during a predetermined period of time or in real time (S402), and encrypt the collected data with a symmetric key (S404).

The power data of the power system11, which has been encrypted with the symmetric key, may be transmitted to the mutually authenticated corresponding remote control server20(S406).

The remote control server20may decrypt the encrypted data by using the symmetric key of the power system11which has been received previously during mutual authentication (S408).

The remote control server20may obtain the decrypted data by using the symmetric key of the power system11, store the same, and output the same to the outside.

Also, the remote control server20may transmit a control signal to the corresponding power system11on the basis of the obtained data. In this case, like the power data received from the power system11, the control signal may be encrypted by using the symmetric key of the remote control server20and the encrypted control signal may be transmitted to the corresponding power system11.

The control signal encrypted with the symmetric key transmitted to the power system may be decrypted by using the symmetric key of the remote control server20obtained during the mutual authentication and obtained.

Thus, the power system and the remote control server or the external terminal which have been mutually authenticated by using the public key may transmit and receive data by using the symmetric key shared during the mutual authentication, whereby security and reliability of data can be increased.