New Power-Grid Authentication and Encryption Technology by MerlinCryption Secures Industrial-Control Systems Against Tampering and Espionage

As top U.S. Intelligence officials debate concerns about growing vulnerabilities of America’s power-grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), MerlinM2M delivers encrypted authentication protection for energy providers and end-users.

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MerlinCryption is changing the way the way the world protects data and secures connectivity

The Smart-World's
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Quote startFirewall, alone, does not solve the grid’s risk problem. MerlinM2M Security Platform's triple-layer defense process is firewall, authentication, and encryption in one composite platform.Quote end

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) April 12, 2012

As top U.S. Intelligence officials debate concerns about growing vulnerabilities of America’s power-grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), MerlinM2M delivers encrypted authentication protection for energy providers and end-users.

“Having a good firewall still leaves the smart-grid at risk,” warns Paul “Prem” Sobel, CTO MerlinCryption LLC, “Cloners can defraud IP addresses and other protocol methods to force a system shutdown and infiltration. The MerlinM2M Security Platform’s triple-layer security process not only denies access, but also secures data integrity with encryption, while alerting operators of foul play.”

The platform’s advanced scripting controller automates secure processes that cannot be detected by hackers. MerlinM2M can uniquely and dynamically script the calculation of the encryption parameters, as well as automatic response to alarms and alerts. Flexibility allows the smart-grid operator to continually change all key, password, and authentication parameters, on command.

“As example, a man-in-the-middle strives to intercept messages, change updates, block alerts, or other false data injection between meters and the utility company.” explains Sobel, “In this instance, the attack against the grid would be identified through MerlinM2M’s authentication, the controller automatically triggers changes to increase frequency of information flow, vary key lengths and passwords, or modify other parameters. Status messages, alarms, and alerts will securely, dynamically, and flexibly transmit between operators, security intelligence, and machines in a sub-second response.”

Energy providers, industrial-control system manufacturers, and grid operators benefit from customization of each encryption engine, which is unique to their system and not interoperable with any other custom or standard version. The additional ability to customize the platform components, for individual smart utility companies, strengthens security and decreases vulnerability of the overall smart grid network.

MerlinM2M is BIS/NSA approved for export and OFAC compliant. The platform secures end-to-end data transmissio n with scalable encryption keys up to 2 GBs in length and passwords up to 64KB. Each encryption process provokes a specific component that dynamically alters all generated data, producing a different encrypted transmission every time, even when the meter or other device, repeats the same data, key, and password input.

About MerlinCryption LLC
The Smart-World’s Smart-Encryption™ software company in Austin TX, MerlinCryption LLC develops encryption and authentication solutions that protect against counterfeiting, cloning, software compromise, physical machine compromise, and man-in-the-middle attack, designed specifically for the embedded and M2M (machine-to-machine) market.

The unprecedented security platform protects integrity of data-at-rest, data-in-motion, data-in-use, and data-in-change as it is created, viewed, edited, shared, stored and moved across communications channels and through the Cloud. The encryption is HIPAA, HITECH, and FDA compliant.

MerlinCryption offers full-scale encryption platforms for M2M, authentication, and enterprise, as well as eleven stand-alone software programs for Information Security professionals. MerlinCryption is changing the way the world protects data and secures connectivity.


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Triple-layer security process secures firewall, authentication, and encryption for composite M2M protection MerlinM2M Security Platform Product Brochure:

Triple-layer security process secures firewall, authentication, and encryption for composite M2M protection


Snapshot of smart-utility company security on the power-grid MerlinM2M Security Platform for Power-Grid Diagram

Snapshot of smart-utility company security on the power-grid