## 9 Conclusions  
The possibility of using IP network modeling platforms to study whether data exchange is secure or not is explored. It is proposed to use the GNS3 platform.  
The proposed method for carrying out the study is simple and easy to implement. A popular and world-famous tool for monitoring IP networks--the Wireshark network protocol analyzer--is used to check whether the data exchange is secure or not.  
The applicability of the GNS3 for studying/verifying whether the information exchanged between the PED and the control center is secure or not is confirmed with the obtained results. From the carried-out study, it was found that the PEDs under study do not offer any security for the exchanged data.  
The use of VPN technology to secure the data exchange has been proposed. From the obtained results, it is seen that the data exchange is secure, it is already encrypted, and the studied PEDs are \"hidden\".  
The carried-out research confirms that the GNS3 platform can be used for studying whether the data exchange between the PED and the control center is secure. By using GNS3, different methods, techniques, and technologies can be studied and verified by which the exchange can be secured and thus the most appropriate technology for a specific PED can be selected.  
This study shows that GNS3 can be used for the characterization of the generated traffic from the PEDs. The results show and confirm the opinion that PEDs do not generate much traffic. There are even moments when the studied PEDs do not even generate traffic. This mean that PEDs can be connected to almost any kind of IP network, without fearing that the generated traffic from the PEDs will lead to some kind of traffic problem such as congestion of the network. Another useful piece of information from the characterization of the generated traffic is the used ports or the ports that generate the most traffic. This information is useful for the cyber security of the network because the administrator of the network will know which ports to leave open.  
A disadvantage of the GNS3 that can be mentioned, as of all IP network modeling platforms, is the requirement for high computational capabilities of the workstation that will be used to model the networks. In order for the modeled networks to run smoothly and seamlessly, the computing power requirement needs to be met.  
The main contribution of this work and its novelty is the demonstration of the ability to use the GNS3 platform to study whether the generated and exchanged communication traffic between a power electronic device and a control center is secure. Thanks to the capabilities of GNS3 and Wireshark, any power electronic device that has the ability to be remotely managed and monitored over an IP network can be examined to see if the information exchanged with it is secure. If it is not secure, any methods, techniques, and technologies to secure the information exchange can be examined using the GNS3 capabilities. The most suitable technology/technique can then be applied in the real/physical network. The creation of IP network models in the platform is relatively easy, which makes uncomplicated the process of studying whether the information exchange is secure. All of the above is confirmed by the results of this research.