PTP Security Key Management Solutions

The use of the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is indispensable in many industrial and commercial areas. It enables the highly accurate synchronization of clocks within a network. In addition to other improvements, IEEE Std 1588–2019 (PTP v2.1) also includes an AUTHENTICATION TLV to protect the integrity and authenticity of PTP messages. However, the distribution of these security parameters is not part of the standard. Since 2020, various solutions are under development that intend to close this gap as automated key management systems. This paper presents the three approaches NTS4PTP, NTS4UPTP and GDOI4PTP being developed in collaboration with the IEEE 1588 Security Subcommittee. This document explains the protocol design and operation of these solutions, followed by a brief comparison of their functions.