Klaus Mochalski and expert Tim Bauer (FACHSPRECHPARTNER - IT/OT for building automation, facility management, and building operators) take a closer look at the hype surrounding BACnet SC in building automation. Find out why the new standard, without clear certificate management, leads to chaos (including a complete PLC shutdown), why only 5% of projects currently use BACnet SC, and how to successfully migrate to it.
Sound Bites
Tim Bauer: “BACnet is technically strong because it has made building automation so easily networkable, but security was never part of the original design concept, which is why you definitely can’t just plug BACnet IP into the network today and hope nothing goes wrong.”
Tim Bauer: “BACnet SC is far more than just BACnet IP with encryption. [...] It’s actually an additional communication layer that has been established to continue transmitting classic BACnet messages.”
Tim Bauer: “... with BACnet SC, another question becomes relevant: Does the device have a valid certificate? Is it even allowed to be part of this hub-and-spoke topology network?”
Tim Bauer: “There are more than enough automation stations that cause a PLC shutdown when the certificate is replaced. This means—let that sink in for a moment—that the automation function is no longer executed until the certificate is replaced.”
Tim Bauer: “Honestly, Klaus, that’s almost a bit of a paradox. Because we say availability is the ultimate goal—that’s what we’re aiming for with OT security—and yet encrypted protocols regularly paralyze our automation functions when we renew the certificates...”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Building Automation and Security
03:00 BACnet IP: Protocol and Interoperability
05:54 Security Aspects of BACnet IP
10:06 BACnet SC: The Secure Alternative
13:54 Certificate Management and Organizational Challenges
15:01 Certificate Management in Automation
18:16 Availability vs. Security in OT Environments
21:14 Challenges of Encryption and Anomaly Detection
25:01 The Status of BACnet SC in New Projects
26:58 Strategies for Successful Project Implementations
Keywords
Building Automation, BACnet, BACnet SC, Protocols, Interoperability, Certificate Management, Automation, Anomaly Detection, Project Management, IT Security, OT Environments, Encryption
