RAD Unveils Ruggedized, Secure-by-Design Gateway for Distribution Automation and Smart Grid Backhaul

RAD has announced that it is expanding its award-winning Service Assured Networking solutions with the launch of the SecFlow-1, a ruggedized SCADA-aware gateway/router whose security-by-design delivers the highest level of cyber security for critical infrastructure communication applications. SecFlow-1 enables reliable communications over public and private wireless and wireline infrastructure at a competitive price.

SecFlow-1 provides resilient cyber security controls that address the needs and vulnerabilities of power, water, oil, and gas utilities. The IEC 61850-3 certified SecFlow-1 combines networking functionalities and critical-asset protection to bring SCADA, Ethernet and IP services securely to distribution automation and secondary substations. The device employs advanced deep packet inspection, encryption and a distributed service-aware firewall to secure and monitor all operational technology applications. SecFlow-1 ensures that protocol commands between remote terminal units, control stations, machine-to-machine or human-machine interfaces are verified for authenticity and validity.

SecFlow-1, like all of RAD’s other SAN solutions, boosts the NERC-CIP compliance level of the power utility’s bulk electric system (BES).

Security and Cost Benefits Already Bringing Value to Utility Companies
Given its small size, SecFlow-1 is ideal for deployment at sites with limited space and at isolated locations where only low voltage is available. SecFlow-1 is also appropriate for smart metering and backhauling and supports multiple backhaul options, including LTE and HSPA+ standard, for maximum flexibility. Moreover, SecFlow-1 is cost-optimized and built to yield a long service life.

SecFlow-1 already has been selected by leading power utilities and energy producers from Asia to Latin America. In India, for example, Cairn Energy, one of that country’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, already has deployed SecFlow-1 with great success.

“Critical infrastructure networks have unique security demands that require both inventiveness and expertise in the type of applications and services that they run,” notes Ulik Broida, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at RAD. “This is precisely why we implemented a defense-in-depth approach in designing SecFlow-1 and equipped it with an all-threat protection toolkit,” he adds. “In this way, SecFlow-1 also provides crucial support for power utilities as they seek to obtain NERC CIP compliance for their BES.”

RAD will be featuring SecFlow-1 at CIRED 2015, the international conference and exhibition on electricity distribution, being held June 15-18 in Lyon, France. RAD will be located at Stand B15.