Digital security organisation the Trusted Energy Interoperability Alliance (TEIA) released universal specifications to protect IoT and AI devices, in turn tackling what it deemed a growing threat involving proprietary approaches.
TEIA 1.0 is on general release, covering connected IoT devices used in batteries, EV chargers, solar inverters, transformers, wind turbines and power distribution systems.
The global industry group explained the specification enables IoT devices to “securely identify themselves” to set-ups including virtual power plans and web-based control rooms, helping to overcome safety challenges posed by proprietary systems.
TEIA added its specification addresses a “need for unified interfaces in AI-based cloud services for energy management”.
The “unified, open security format” is “crucial in the face of growing malicious attacks on connected energy systems”, TEIA explained.
Chair Cameron Briggs offered assurances TEIA 1.0 enables the designers of digital energy systems to remain flexible in how they implement systems, arguing the set-up would foster growth by ensuring “different members of the value chain” specialise in “what they do best”.
TEIA predicted the system would also help OEMs cut their bill-of-materials and so boost margins “while avoiding complex web security challenges” involved in “managing unique data security methods”.