Patent ID: 8868907

Claim:
A device for processing communications for secure operation of industrial control system field devices, comprising: a processor, a memory, and a communication controller operably connected to form a processing device to be placed in-line between a Master Telemetry Unit (MTU) and a field device; a software verified microkernel stored in the memory including instructions for the processing device to provide a secure partitioning of the memory between a communication network interface address space, a security cell address space, and a field device interface address space; the communication network interface address space including software instructions and memory space for the processor to manage communication messages with the MTU, each communication message including a user identification identifying the sender of the message and a requested operation to be performed by the field device; the field network interface address space including software instructions and memory space for the processor to manage communication messages with the field device; and the security cell address space including software instructions and memory space for the processor to: receive communication messages from the MTU via the communication network interface address space; authenticate the user identification of each communication message; verify that the operation requested in each message is authorized for the user identification; and send each communication message having an authenticated user identification and a verified operation to the field network interface address space for communication with the field device.