Open vs Proprietary Protocols

Introduction

To understand ICS/SCADA networks and how various components communicate with each other, we need to understand the underlying protocols that are being used by these systems. “Protocol” means how two or more than two systems will talk/communicate with each other.

Every protocol has been designed specifically for a particular need and serves its own purpose. Some protocols have been designed for efficiency, reliability and for operational and economic requirements, while others have been designed for real-time operations for precision and accuracy. To further complicate this, many of these protocols have been designed and modified to run over IP/Ethernet to support modern systems and bridge the gap for establishing communication between legacy and modern systems.

Open vs. proprietary protocols

Depending on the need and usage, protocols are usually designed by companies/organizations for serving a particular purpose. Some of the protocols are open-source and can be used by anyone for integrating into their own product, while some protocols are restricted and cannot be used. Protocols which cannot be used by anyone are the ones usually designed by manufacturers for usage with their own products only.

This means we have two categories of protocols. They are:

1. Proprietary protocols: Proprietary protocols are the ones designed and made by a single organization. They are not open-source or free to use for anyone. Thus, proprietary protocol gives the owner to change the protocol design and implementation and enforce restrictions on the usage. Owners usually enforce restrictions through patents rights and trade secrets and do not disclose the technical information behind the protocol.
2. Open-source/standard protocols: Open-source protocols are free to use by anyone. They are usually designed and developed by organizations like IEEE/IETF or as a joint effort by many organizations. Open-source protocols offer following advantage over proprietary protocols:
   1. Free to use by anyone
   2. Can be (Read more...)