4210

Get a Live Demo

You need to see DPS gear in action. Get a live demo with our engineers.

White Paper Series

Check out our White Paper Series!

A complete library of helpful advice and survival guides for every aspect of system monitoring and control.

DPS is here to help.

1-800-693-0351

Have a specific question? Ask our team of expert engineers and get a specific answer!

Learn the Easy Way

Sign up for the next DPS Factory Training!

DPS Factory Training

Whether you're new to our equipment or you've used it for years, DPS factory training is the best way to get more from your monitoring.

Reserve Your Seat Today

Ensuring Compliance: TLS 1.2 is Critical for NIST, NERC, and FIPS Standards

By Andrew Erickson

May 27, 2025

Share: 

Whether you work for a federal agency, a power utility, or a private company operating in a regulated sector, you're no stranger to compliance requirements from various sources. The many regulatory acronyms - NIST, NERC, FIPS - are in place to secure critical infrastructure and sensitive data.

Failing to comply could mean lost contracts or even million-dollar fines.

Central to preventing these shortcomings is TLS 1.2.

This protocol may not sound exciting (which is probably true!), but it sits at the heart of every secure system - and the rules around it are tightening. If you're not ready, your hardware might already be obsolete.

Let's walk through exactly why TLS 1.2 is a critical part of your compliance strategy - and what you can do to make sure your older equipment doesn't hold you back.

After all, security isn't just good practice anymore - it's mandatory.

TLS 1.2 for compliance

What Is TLS 1.2 and Why Should You Care?

TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a protocol that encrypts data as it travels over a network. That includes data between web browsers and servers, between two machines over the internet or between devices on a local network.

TLS is the more-secure successor to SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). You've probably heard of it - even if you didn't realize it was deprecated over a decade ago.

TLS 1.2, specifically, is the minimum acceptable version of TLS today in regulated environments. While TLS 1.3 exists and is gaining traction, TLS 1.2 remains the baseline requirement in nearly all current compliance frameworks.

TLS 1.2 is important for monitoring systems as it provides:

  • Authenticated encryption - Combines encryption and integrity verification into one secure step. You're not just scrambling data - you're also making sure no one tampers with it.
  • Stronger cryptographic algorithms - TLS 1.2 uses SHA-2 and other modern cipher suites that are far more resistant to attack than outdated methods like MD5 or SHA-1.
  • Downgrade attack protection - TLS 1.2 makes it harder for attackers to force a system into using older, less secure protocols (a common tactic in man-in-the-middle attacks).

With these advantages, TLS 1.2 is a big asset - and it's explicitly required by multiple compliance frameworks.

Outdated TLS Versions Are Officially Deprecated

There's no longer any gray area about older TLS versions. TLS 1.0 and 1.1, as well as SSL 2.0 and 3.0, are officially deprecated. Most modern operating systems and browsers will no longer support them at all.

Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Mozilla all removed support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 from their browsers years ago. If you're still running network equipment that only supports those versions, that equipment may also be completely inaccessible to users trying to connect.

In regulated environments, that's a problem that extends beyond usability. It's a compliance failure.

TLS 1.2 Affects NIST, NERC, and FIPS Compliance

TLS 1.2 shows up in the standards that matter most to regulated industries.

NIST: The Federal Standard-Bearer

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the guiding force behind cybersecurity for U.S. government agencies - and, increasingly, for private-sector partners as well.

According to NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, federal systems must support TLS 1.2 or higher. The document posits:

"All government TLS servers and clients shall be configured to support TLS 1.2... configured with FIPS-based cipher suites."

This means if your equipment connects to or communicates with any government IT system, TLS 1.2 is mandated.

Even systems that don't directly interact with federal data may still fall under these guidelines if they're in a shared environment, subcontracted role, or receive federal funding.

This has major implications for hardware manufacturers, software developers, and system integrators. If your product doesn't support TLS 1.2, your federal opportunities may vanish overnight.

NERC CIP: Cybersecurity for the Power Grid

Electric utilities follow a different set of rules. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) enforces Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards that apply to organizations responsible for the Bulk Electric System (BES).

Two key standards are relevant here:

  • CIP-005 - Covers Electronic Security Perimeters and requires secure access controls.
  • CIP-007 - Governs system security management and requires encryption for all communications paths.

In both cases, using secure communication protocols - such as TLS 1.2 - is mandatory. Any access path that is not encrypted or is encrypted using outdated standards could lead to non-compliance fines. Unfortunately, these fines can reach into the millions of dollars per incident.

For example, even a browser-based interface for device management must use secure, modern encryption. If a field tech logs into an RTU or controller through an unencrypted or weakly encrypted page, your utility could be in violation.

FIPS 140-2: Cryptographic Validation

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) defines how cryptographic systems must operate in federal environments.

The most relevant to TLS is FIPS 140-2, which outlines the requirements for cryptographic modules. If your device uses TLS to encrypt data, it must:

  • Use FIPS-validated cryptographic libraries
  • Employ approved cipher suites (no legacy SHA-1 or MD5 here)
  • Pass independent lab testing by a certified agency

Even if your equipment uses TLS 1.2, it won't be compliant unless the underlying cryptographic engine is FIPS-certified.

That's why it's not enough to only say "we use TLS 1.2." You also need to make sure that:

  • Your TLS stack is FIPS-compliant
  • Your cipher suites are configured correctly
  • Your system passes audit reviews for validation

As a real-world example, some of our clients have asked us to confirm that our RTUs use a FIPS-compliant encryption library during pre-purchase research.

The Big Costs of Non-Compliance

So, what happens if you don't meet these standards?

Here's what you might see as a result:

Failed Audits

Regulators from NERC, federal auditors, or internal security teams may flag your system as non-compliant. That alone can trigger remediation orders, system replacements, or mandatory oversight.

Revoked Contracts

Many federal and utility contracts include clauses that require strict compliance with security protocols. Non-compliance gives the client the legal right to terminate your contract immediately.

Fines and Penalties

NERC CIP fines can exceed $1 million per day, per violation.

Public Exposure

Security incidents are increasingly made public. If a breach or audit failure is traced back to non-compliant encryption, your organization could suffer serious reputational damage.

Compliance is a business-critical function.

The Dream Scenario: Built-In Compliance from the Ground Up

The ideal scenario is one where compliance is built in from the start. When you deploy new equipment, you shouldn't have to worry about whether it meets encryption standards. It just does.

This way, your systems pass audits without issue - with no flags or follow-up corrections required. You can also pursue federal and utility contracts with confidence, knowing your gear is already approved for use in those environments.

Meanwhile, your IT team can shift focus from patching non-compliant devices to improving your infrastructure. All of this becomes possible when your equipment is designed from the ground up with security and compliance as core features.

DPS Makes Compliance Easier

If you're in the market for RTUs, remote monitoring systems, or site controllers, there's good news. The DPS Telecom G6 RTU platform is ready for deployment in most environments that require NIST, NERC, and/or FIPS compliance.

With the G6 platform, you get:

TLS 1.2 with FIPS-Validated Cipher Suites

The G6 platform uses strong encryption algorithms that meet FIPS 140-2 requirements and are explicitly recommended by NIST.

SNMPv3 and Secure Web Interfaces

Whether you're managing your devices through SNMP or a browser, you'll be protected by modern encryption protocols.

Future-Proof Firmware

Field-upgradeable firmware lets you keep pace with evolving standards. If TLS 1.3 becomes the next requirement (for example), you'll generally be able to update firmware instead of replacing hardware (as long as the hardware has sufficient speed to handle a newer standard).

Protocol Compatibility

In addition to secure TLS support, G6 devices also support MODBUS, DNP3, and other protocols. These are commonly used in utility and industrial networks.

Designed for Critical Infrastructure

G6 RTUs are rugged, battle-tested, and designed to work in demanding environments where downtime is not an option.

You don't need to struggle with bolt-on modules or last-minute compliance fixes. With DPS, it's all built in.

Don't Wait Until Compliance Is a Crisis

If you're using older equipment that doesn't support TLS 1.2, you may already be out of step with federal or utility regulations. Even worse, you could be exposed to active cybersecurity threats that exploit outdated encryption.

That's not a risk worth taking.

Secure, compliant, and future-ready monitoring systems are available now - and we're here to help you deploy them with confidence.

Let's Secure Your Network - Call or Email Today

If you're ready to bring your infrastructure up to compliance, we're ready to help.

Give us a call at 559-454-1600 or send an email to sales@dpstele.com.

We'll answer your questions, walk you through your compliance requirements, and help you choose the right equipment for your site.

Share: 
Andrew Erickson

Andrew Erickson

Andrew Erickson is an Application Engineer at DPS Telecom, a manufacturer of semi-custom remote alarm monitoring systems based in Fresno, California. Andrew brings more than 18 years of experience building site monitoring solutions, developing intuitive user interfaces and documentation, and opt...