Photovoltaic inverter vertical encryption

Do small-scale solar inverters need cybersecurity guidance?

This report provides practical cybersecurity guidance for small-scale solar inverter implementations that are typically used in homes and small businesses. These guidelines are informed by a review of known smart-inverter vulnerabilities documented in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), a See full abstract

Can a smart inverter control access to a solar energy 320 system?

A smart inverter in a home or small business solar energy 320 system will have various people and organizations that will need access. Controlling access for 321 these different users requires granting them the specific access permission they need.

What authentication techniques should smart inverters use?

Smart inverters should use stronger authentication techniques such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) for authenticating users. The NIST SP 800-63 series of publications provide detailed guidance on authentication techniques. Smart inverters also communicate with non-person entities such as other devices and systems.

What role does a smart inverter play in a solar energy system?

191 Figure 2 illustrates the central role a smart inverter plays in a residential or light commercial 192 solar energy system. The smart inverter orchestrates the behavior of the solar energy system 193 and its interactions with the electric grid.

What are smart-inverter security guidelines?

These guidelines are informed by a review of known smart-inverter vulnerabilities documented in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), a review of information about known smart-inverter cyber-attacks, and testing of five example smart inverters.

How does an inverter authenticate users and systems?

The inverter authenticates users and systems to establish their identity. Traditionally, a single authentication factor, a password, has been used. However, passwords are no longer an appropriate authentication approach for access to capabilities that could affect critical infrastructure.