IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018

IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018 addresses deep packet inspection of encrypted communications within power systems management and associated information exchange, with a focus on data and communications security. For engineering, testing, and compliance teams, it is a relevant technical document when evaluating how encrypted network traffic may be inspected without undermining security objectives. IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018 is most useful where operational visibility, risk management, and technical review must be balanced in modern control and communication environments.

IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018 standard overview

This technical report is aligned with the IEC 62351 security series and concentrates on the challenge of inspecting encrypted communications in power system contexts. Its likely purpose is to support informed evaluation of inspection methods, their limitations, and their impact on confidentiality and operational integrity. Organizations may use it as a compliance reference during technical assessment, documented evaluation, and engineering documentation reviews, especially where encrypted traffic handling affects verification activities or security architecture decisions.

Applications of IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018

IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018 is relevant in utility communication networks, control system security studies, laboratory evaluation, and procurement review for monitoring or cybersecurity tools. It may be consulted when assessing how network inspection functions interact with encrypted protocols used in power infrastructure and related automation systems. Teams involved in technical validation, conformity assessment preparation, or operational consistency checks can use it to frame realistic testing workflows and compare inspection approaches against security and interoperability expectations.

Why IEC TR 62351-90-2:2018 matters

For organizations responsible for power system cybersecurity, the document helps clarify a difficult engineering problem: how to analyze encrypted traffic while preserving system security and reliability. That makes it valuable for safety-related decision-making, testing consistency, and risk reduction during deployment or tool selection. It can also support quality assurance, procurement evaluation, and compliance workflows by giving stakeholders a common technical basis for discussing deep packet inspection in encrypted environments and its role in conformity assessment preparation.

• Supports technical review of encrypted traffic inspection in power system communication environments
• Useful for cybersecurity evaluation, validation planning, and laboratory test design
• Helps align procurement and compliance decisions with security and interoperability requirements
• Relevant to engineering documentation where monitoring, visibility, and encryption controls must be assessed together