As utilities around the world begin to explore the potential of IEC 61850 through pilot projects, this standard is emerging as a key enabler for modernizing substation protection, automation, and control. IEC 61850 offers unparalleled interoperability, flexibility, and scalability, transforming how utilities design, manage, and upgrade their systems. This tutorial will provide a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of IEC 61850, explaining its core principles, including object modeling, the communication stack, and key communication services. Attendees will learn about the benefits of interoperability that IEC 61850 brings to digital substations, such as reduced engineering efforts, increased system reliability, and seamless multi-vendor integration. Additionally, we will explore the practical challenges of implementing IEC 61850. The tutorial will offer actionable insights on how attendees can apply these concepts to their systems, helping to modernize operations while ensuring future-proof scalability, performance, and reliability.