Technical Paper Abstract
Accurate and reliable time synchronization has become a foundational capability for modern industrial automation systems. Applications such as motion control, coordinated drives, distributed I/O, expiration of credentials, and time correlated diagnostics increasingly depend on accurate time synchronization to maintain a common system time across controllers and devices. IEEE 1588 PTP is widely adopted in these applications due to its precision and scalability. However, IEEE 1588 PTP, like many other time synchronization technologies, was not originally designed with security as a primary consideration. As industrial systems become more connected and exposed, manipulation of system time—whether malicious or unintentional—represents a growing risk that can impact performance, reliability, and safety.
This session paper explores approaches for identifying and responding to security related topics for time synchronization technologies in industrial devices that utilize IEEE 1588 PTP and other common technologies. Since IEEE 1588 PTP is so important for CIP Motion, special attention is given to it. A proposed solution for securing IEEE 1588 PTP is given, which monitors time integrity at the CIP application layer, where deviations from expected behavior can be detected with minimal impacts to existing installations. The paper details that approach and examines tradeoffs of that solution against other potential solutions.
Keywords
CIP Security, CIP Sync, Clock Anomaly Detection, Distributed Clock Systems, Industrial Automation Systems, Network Based Time Attacks, Precision Time Protocol (PTP – IEEE 1588), Time Sync Diagnostic Clock, Time Manipulation Detection, Time Synchronization Integrity
Paper and presentation from the 2026 ODVA Industry Conference & 24th Annual Meeting: to be published November 2
Jack Visoky, Principal Engineer and Security Architect, Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Kevin Riederer, Embedded Software Architect, Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Todd Wiese, Principal Software Systems Architect, Rockwell Automation, Inc.