Method and system for hand held terminal security

1. A computer implemented method for authenticating a field tool by a field device comprising:

receiving, on the field device, an authentication certificate;

verifying the authentication certificate using a trust anchor certificate on the field device;

securing communication between the field tool and the field device;

receiving a field tool task authorization certificate;

verifying the task authorization certificate using the trust anchor certificate on the field device;

receiving, from the field tool, a request to perform a task; and

determining whether the task is authorized based on the task authorization certificate; and

performing the task on the field device when it is determined the task is authorized.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, from the authorization certificate, a list of field devices with which the field tool is authorized to communicate; and

verifying that the field device is on the list of field devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication between the field tool and the field device is secured with a key, wherein the key is generated using a device certificate and a field tool certificate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a public/private key challenge is used to authenticate the field tool using a public key of the field tool, supplied to the field tool in the authentication certificate supplied by the field tool.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field device is provisioned with a trust anchor to authenticate utility certificates using an established trust chain established by a manufacturer using manufacturer-signed utility certificates.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field device is provisioned by a manufacturer with a utility supplied trust anchor certificate used to authenticate field tool certificates.

7. A system for authenticating a field tool by a field device comprising:

a field tool for performing tasks on one or more field devices of a plurality of field devices, wherein each field device of the plurality of field devices is configured to:

receive, on the field device, an authentication certificate;

verify the authentication certificate using a trust anchor certificate on the field device;

secure communication between the field tool and the field device;

receive a field tool task authorization certificate;

verify the task authorization certificate using the trust anchor certificate on the field device;

receive, from the field tool, a request to perform a task; and

determine whether the task is authorized based on the task authorization certificate; and

perform the task on the field device when it is determined the task is authorized.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining, by the field device, a list of field devices with which the field tool is authorized to communicate; and

verifying that the field device is on the list of field devices.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising generating, by the field tool, a public and private key pair and communicating the public key to a head end system process that constructs the authentication certificate for the field tool.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the field device uses a public/private key challenge to authenticate the field tool using a public key of the field tool, wherein the public key is received from the field tool in the authentication certificate.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a certificate hierarchy wherein a manufacturer signs one or more utility certificates that establish a trust chain to authenticate the one or more utility certificates with a trust anchor provisioned in a manufactured device.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a certificate hierarchy wherein the field tool does not have a private key of the certificates the field tool is configured with.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a certificate hierarchy used by the field tool to authenticate devices wherein a manufacturer establishes a trust chain for one or more device certificates that comprises a manufacturing site certificate that signs the one or more device certificates that has a manufacturer certificate as the trust anchor.

14. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a certificate hierarchy used by device to authenticate field tool certificates wherein the device is provisioned by a manufacturer with a utility supplied trust anchor certificate.

15. A field device for authenticating a field tool, comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) at least one input device;

c) at least one output device; and

d) at least one storage device storing processor executable instructions which,

when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method including:

receiving, on the field device, an authentication certificate;

verifying the authentication certificate using a trust anchor certificate on the field device;

securing communication between the field tool and the field device;

receiving a field tool task authorization certificate;

verifying the task authorization certificate using the trust anchor certificate on the field device;

receiving, from the field tool, a request to perform a task; and

determining whether the task is authorized based on the task authorization certificate; and

performing the task on the field device when it is determined the task is authorized.

16. The field device of claim 15 , further comprising

determining, from the authorization certificate, a list of field devices with which the field tool is authorized to communicate; and

verifying that the field device is on the list of field devices.

17. The field device of claim 15 , wherein the communication between the field tool and the field device is secured with a key, wherein the key is generated using a device certificate and the field tool task authorization certificate.

18. The field device of claim 15 , wherein a public/private key challenge is used to authenticate the field tool using a public key of the field tool, supplied to the field tool in an authentication certificate supplied by the field tool.

19. The field device of claim 15 , wherein the field device is provisioned with a trust anchor to authenticate utility certificates using an established trust chain established by a manufacturer using manufacturer-signed utility certificates.

20. The field device of claim 15 , wherein the field device is provisioned by a manufacturer with a utility supplied trust anchor certificate used to authenticate field tool certificates.