BACnet/SC

Secure communication for connected buildings

BACnet is the leading communication standard for building automation, enabling interoperability between devices from different manufacturers. As buildings become increasingly connected, new requirements have emerged. Cloud services, IoT applications, remote maintenance and the convergence of IT and OT all depend on secure communication.

BACnet Secure Connect (BACnet/SC) extends the proven BACnet standard with modern cybersecurity technologies, providing encrypted, certificate-based communication while preserving the interoperability and functionality of BACnet.

Secure connectivity for modern building automation

Today’s building automation systems are no longer isolated networks. They exchange data with enterprise IT, cloud services, energy management platforms and remote applications. This connectivity enables greater efficiency and flexibility but also increases cybersecurity requirements.

BACnet/SC provides the secure communication foundation needed to integrate building automation safely into modern IP-based infrastructures.

Security without compromise

BACnet/SC protects communication through authentication, encryption and certificate-based trust, preventing unauthorized access and safeguarding operational data.

At the same time, all established BACnet services—such as Trend Logs, Schedulers, Calendars, Alarms and Events—remain fully available. Existing applications continue to operate seamlessly while benefiting from a significantly higher level of cybersecurity.

With BACnet/SC, organizations can securely connect their building automation systems while maintaining interoperability and protecting their long-term investment.

BACnet/SC solutions from SAUTER

SAUTER has implemented BACnet/SC in modulo 6 and SAUTER Vision Center. Additionally, SAUTER has developed a BACnet/SC router. It can be used to connect existing BACnet/IP systems with the BACnet/SC network. The BACnet/SC router can also function as a primary hub or a failover hub in the BACnet/SC network if no such hub is present in the network.

Further informations about BACnet/SC

BACnet/SC is based on established IT security standards such as TLS 1.3, allowing building automation systems to integrate seamlessly into modern enterprise IT infrastructures. Communication is encrypted and authenticated using digital certificates, applying the same cybersecurity principles already used throughout corporate networks.

Unlike traditional BACnet/IP installations, BACnet/SC communicates through a BACnet/SC Hub, which manages secure connections between devices. For high availability, a Failover Hub can automatically take over if the primary hub becomes unavailable.

BACnet/SC also simplifies network design. Communication across multiple IP networks no longer requires complex BBMD configurations and, in many scenarios, dedicated VPN tunnels are no longer necessary. This reduces engineering effort while making deployments more scalable and easier to maintain.

The protocol remains fully compliant with the BACnet standard. BACnet/SC networks can be connected to existing BACnet/IP or BACnet MS/TP installations through BACnet routers, enabling a gradual migration without replacing existing infrastructure. Multiple BACnet/SC networks can also be interconnected to optimize performance and support large, distributed building automation systems.