Ensuring the reliability and security of smart inverters that provide the interface between distributed energy resources (DERs) and the power grid becomes paramount with the surge in integrating DERs into the (smart) power grid. Despite the importance of having updated firmware / software versions within a reasonable time frame, existing methods for establishing trust through firmware updates lack effective historical tracking and verification. This paper introduces a novel framework to manage and track firmware update history, leveraging verifiable credentials. By tracking the update history and implementing a trust cycle based on these verifiable updates, we aim to improve grid resilience, enhance cybersecurity, and increase transparency for stakeholders.

翻译：确保提供分布式能源资源与电网接口的智能逆变器的可靠性和安全性，随着分布式能源资源并入（智能）电网的激增而变得至关重要。尽管在合理时间范围内更新固件/软件版本具有重要意义，但现有通过固件更新建立信任的方法缺乏有效的历史追踪与验证。本文提出一种新型框架，利用可验证凭证来管理并追踪固件更新历史。通过追踪更新历史并基于这些可验证更新实施信任循环，我们旨在提升电网韧性、增强网络安全，并增加对利益相关方的透明度。