The Benefits of STS Key Management

Introduction:

If you analyze the decisions being made in the energy sector globally, it becomes very clear that there is a strategic movement to not only have abundant and sustainable clean energy but to also ensure that the systems at the heart of the infrastructure itself are well protected by the most state-of-the-art security measures available. Since we live in an era that is dominated by digital advancements, and the sheer volume of sensitive information being transferred will continue to grow, the need for robust and trustworthy security measures becomes exponentially more important. An integral part of a well-defined data security system is how the encrypted data itself is managed, alongside the ‘encryption keys’ used at various stages of the process. This article explores the benefits of having a simple, trusted, and secure key management facility, just like the one provided by the STS.

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Centralized Control and Enhanced Security:

Let’s picture a scenario for a moment: You wish to set up a Smart-Metering AMI that includes the option for prepayment, and one of the many considerations you’ll have to make is how you’re going to protect the transfer of credit from a POS into a meter. The simple answer is to use cryptographic algorithms to securely encrypt/decrypt the data. This is only one part of it, however, as you still need to figure out how this entire system is managed. With that in mind, there are essentially two options when it comes to managing a system like this.

The first option is to design your system from scratch, which leaves you at the mercy of your own design choices, but it also means that your system would be proprietary. When trying to source suppliers that would be compatible with your system, you ultimately end up with a situation of ‘supplier lock-in’, which has many downsides to it. This would negatively affect the growth of your infrastructure, as many suppliers/vendors would refuse to create “unique products” that only work when used with your proprietary system. This is very limiting and not an ideal situation for the long term.

The second option is to go with an existing, already globally accepted system. The KMC (Key Management Centre) provided by the STS is a centralized secure facility for managing cryptographic keys that are used across all STS-certified systems globally. It simplifies the Key Management process by being a fully ready ‘plug and play’ option that allows you to scale your infrastructure easily without becoming complicated. It achieves this seamlessly because it was designed to be fully interoperable at all levels, no matter the size of your infrastructure, or how many suppliers/vendors you wish to have.

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Mitigation of threats:

The STS subscribes to the best practices for key management, key security, and key generation. This is then combined with a few simple, but very important features regarding the functionality of the keys themselves – Namely: KEY REFRESH, KEY EXPIRY, and KEY REVOCATION. These form an important part of the latest STS Specification Suite, and when used correctly, can give each user/owner peace of mind by giving them full control of the lifespan and functionality of their keys. These features also play a critical role in limiting the possibility of insider threats, and fraudulent behaviour such as ‘ghost vending’. If your keys are ever compromised, you can contact the KMC via a dedicated email gateway that is available 24/7 throughout the year to revoke your keys, giving you yet another layer of added security. In the unlikely event that the KMC itself is ever compromised, there is a fully functional ‘backup’ KMC that is ready to step in, so there will be zero interruption to the services and functionality offered.

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Conclusion:

In Conclusion, the energy landscape and the security requirements involved are constantly growing and evolving, and having a secure system to manage sensitive data is truly a fundamental component that cannot be overlooked. The Key Management Centre provided by the STS is one of those solutions, as it serves as a ‘fixed point’ that all Utilities, Electricity Vendors, and Prepayment System Manufacturers can rely on. No matter the size of your infrastructure, the STS and its associated KMC will provide a Simple, Trusted, and Secure solution for your prepayment systems worldwide, and for the foreseeable future.

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For more information about the STSA, please visit our website at www.sts.org.za

Written by STSA

The Standard Transfer Specification (STS) has become recognized as the only globally accepted open standard for prepayment systems, ensuring interoperability between system components from different manufacturers of prepayment systems.

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