AAS Security Specifications & Beyond - Best Practice Guide

This document describes a standardized approach to secure access to the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) in accordance with IEC 63278. The AAS is a machine-readable representation of a product that enables the exchange of structured product-related information across systems and organizational boundaries. 
As AAS usage expands into environments with many participants, a consistent security concept is required to ensure interoperability, data integrity, and controlled access.
The paper focuses on the mechanisms defined in IDTA-01004 for implementing confidentiality and integrity protection without modifying the AAS itself. 
Access policies are stored externally in dedicated repositories and applied through a technology-neutral rule model. 
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) provides the basis for context dependent decisions, complemented by support for federated and organization-specific identity providers.
The content is structured around four main aspects: reference scenarios that define the application context; the concepts of access levels and access rules; authentication and identity provisioning based on established protocols; and infrastructure options for crosscompany identity management. Implementation considerations, open challenges, and recommendations for adoption are also discussed.
The target audience includes system architects, product developers, and service providers involved in AAS-based data exchange. This document aims to provide both the conceptual framework and practical guidance needed to deploy secure AAS infrastructures in industrial environments.