Smart electricity monitoring detectors must build a security system for the entire data lifecycle, from generation to storage and transmission. Considering the real-time and reliability requirements of power scenarios, an encryption method should be selected that is compatible with the device's computing power, balances security and efficiency, and addresses data confidentiality, integrity, and authentication requirements. During data collection, the smart electricity monitoring detector's sensor and local processing unit initially encrypt the raw power data. This step typically uses lightweight symmetric encryption algorithms, which offer low computational overhead and fast encryption speeds. These algorithms are adaptable to the limited computing resources of the smart electricity monitoring detector's embedded devices, preventing encryption operations from consuming excessive system resources and impacting real-time data collection. Core encryption involves encrypting the collected raw data, such as voltage, current, and power, using a preset symmetric key to prevent unauthorized reading or tampering during transmission within the smart electricity monitoring detector (e.g., from the sensor to the local storage module).
Entering the data transmission phase, where power data is most vulnerable to interception and tampering, the encryption design needs to be optimized based on the transmission method (wired or wireless). If wired transmission (such as industrial Ethernet or power line carrier) is used, a secure channel is typically established based on established transport layer encryption protocols. Transmitted data packets are encrypted and encapsulated using the protocols. Identity authentication mechanisms are also implemented to ensure that only authorized monitoring platforms or servers can receive and decrypt data, preventing unauthorized devices from posing as receivers and stealing data. If wireless transmission (such as IoT technologies like LoRa and NB-IoT) is used, the characteristics of wireless communication are leveraged to process data using a symmetric encryption algorithm before transmission. This encryption is further secured using the encryption extension module within the wireless communication protocol. Furthermore, a dynamic key update mechanism regularly updates the key used during transmission, mitigating data security risks in the event of a key leak. Furthermore, a hash checksum is appended to the transmitted data. The receiving end verifies this checksum to verify whether the data has been tampered with during transmission, thus ensuring data integrity.
In data storage, encryption must be differentiated between local storage within the smart electricity monitoring detector and storage in the cloud or backend server. Smart electricity monitoring detectors typically use symmetric encryption algorithms for local storage. Because local data storage is typically small and requires frequent read and write access, the high efficiency of symmetric encryption meets the needs for fast storage and access. Furthermore, partitioned encryption is implemented to separate sensitive power data from data such as device operation logs, preventing a single key leak from compromising all data. Cloud-based or backend server-based power data, which is larger and has longer retention periods, employs a hybrid encryption model combining asymmetric and symmetric encryption. Symmetric keys are first securely distributed using asymmetric encryption, and then encrypted and stored using symmetric encryption. This model leverages the security of asymmetric key distribution with the efficiency of symmetric encryption for processing large amounts of data. A key management system is also implemented on the server side to centrally manage encryption keys, including key generation, distribution, update, and destruction, to prevent key loss or unauthorized access.
In addition, the smart electricity monitoring detector's encryption system incorporates identity authentication and access control mechanisms, which are crucial for ensuring encryption effectiveness. When establishing a connection with a monitoring platform or server, the smart electricity monitoring detector uses an asymmetric encryption algorithm to implement bidirectional authentication. The smart electricity monitoring detector verifies the server's legitimacy to prevent connections to spoofed, malicious servers. The server also verifies the identity of the smart electricity monitoring detector to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the system and uploading false data. Furthermore, different access keys are set for users or management terminals with different permissions. Only authorized users can decrypt and access the corresponding power data using the valid keys, preventing unauthorized insiders from accessing sensitive data.
The encryption design of this type of smart electricity monitoring detector is not based on a single algorithm. Instead, it integrates various data flow links, device computing power limitations, and power industry security requirements to create a multi-layered, multi-dimensional encryption system. This ensures the security of power data during collection, transmission, and storage without compromising the normal operation of the smart electricity monitoring detector or the real-time nature of the data due to encryption operations, thus ensuring data security for the stable and secure operation of the power monitoring system.
