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Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) are vital components in modern
electrical substations, collectively responsible for monitoring electrical
parameters and performing protective functions. As a result, ensuring the
integrity of IEDs is an essential criteria. While standards like IEC 61850 and
IEC 60870-5-104 establish cyber-security protocols for secure information
exchange in IED-based power systems, the physical integrity of IEDs is often
overlooked, leading to a rise in counterfeit and tainted electronic products.
This paper proposes a physical unclonable function (PUF)-based device (IEDPUF
probe) capable of extracting unique hardware signatures from commercial IEDs.
These signatures can serve as identifiers, facilitating the authentication and
protection of IEDs against counterfeiting. The paper presents the complete
hardware architecture of the IEDPUF probe, along with algorithms for signature
extraction and authentication. The process involves the central computer system
(CCS) initiating IED authentication requests by sending random challenges to
the IEDPUF probe. Based on the challenges, the IEDPUF probe generates
responses, which are then verified by the CCS to authenticate the IED.
Additionally, a two-way authentication technique is employed to ensure that
only verified requests are granted access for signature extraction.
Experimental results confirm the efficacy of the proposed IEDPUF probe. The
results demonstrate its ability to provide real-time responses possessing
randomness while uniquely identifying the IED under investigation. The proposed
IEDPUF probe offers a simple, cost-effective, accurate solution with minimal
storage requirements, enhancing the authenticity and integrity of IEDs within
electrical substations