Control
Intelligent Electronic Device (IED)
A microprocessor-based substation device performing protection, control, metering or monitoring functions.
Critical criticalityLevel 1
What it does
Measures electrical quantities, executes protection functions and reports to station systems.
Typically locatedSubstation relay panels and switchgear.
At a glance
PurdueLevel 1
CategoryControl
Protocolsiec-61850, mms, goose, dnp3
Talks toStation gateway, Other IEDs (GOOSE), Engineering laptops
Common vendorsSEL, ABB (Relion), Siemens (SIPROTEC 5), GE Vernova
Why should I care?
Intelligent Electronic Device sits at Level 1. Compromise here is not just a data problem — it changes what the physical process does or what operators can see and control.
Common security problems
- Default or shared engineering passwords
- Serial/USB local access ports
- Long firmware lifecycles
If it is compromised
- Protection settings changes with grid consequences
- False tripping or failure to trip
What to monitor
- Settings group changes
- Firmware version inventory
- Local and remote login events
- GOOSE publisher inventory
How to defend it
- Centralised credential management for relays
- Settings change detection against a baseline
- Physical panel security
Hunting
Hunt ideas for this component
Related