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Cyber Security in Smart Grid

Article in International Research Journal on Advanced Science Hub · September 2020

DOI: 10.47392/irjash.2020.33

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www.rspsciencehub.com Volume 02 Issue 06 June 2020

Cyber Security in Smart Grid

Praveen Kumar Mishra1, Prabhakar Tiwari2,
1
PG Scholar, Electrical Engineering Department, Madan Mohan Malaviya University of technology
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2
Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering Department, Madan Mohan Malaviya University of
technology Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
praveen.mishra590@gmail.com1
Abstract

The smart grid harnesses the power of information technology to provide energy intelligently using
two-way communication and wisely meets environmental requirements by facilitating the integration of
green technologies. The intelligent network is a system based on communication and information
technology in the generation, delivery and consumption of energy. It uses the bi-directional flow of
information to create an automated and widely distributed system that has new features such as real-time
control, operational efficiency, network resilience and better integration of renewable technology that will
reduce the carbon footprint. Any interruptions in power generation could disrupt the stability of the smart
grid and could potentially have major socio-economic impacts. These survey documents provide various
classifications of smart grid attacks, most of which are based on confidentiality, integrity or availability.
We examine cyber security goals in the smart network and describe a new classification of cyber attacks
based on a method used by hackers or penetration testers. This document provides an overview of the
current state and future directions of cyber security of the intelligent network. The main contribution of
this review is to provide a complete overview of resilience in power systems: definitions, frameworks,
metrics and practices.

Keywords ;cyber attacks, network security, confidentiality, security protocol

1. Introduction generate privacy problems. With the

The smart grid is a system made up of distributed implementation of Smart Grid, the importance of
and heterogeneous components to provide information technology (IT) and
electricity in an intelligent way and meet telecommunication infrastructures has been
environmental requirements through the integration increased to ensure the reliability and security of the
of renewable technologies. The National Institute of electricity sector. Cyber security must address not
Standards and Technology (NIST) described the only deliberate attacks launched by disgruntled
smart grid as integrating the electricity grid of the employees, industrial espionage agents and
last century with the current development of the terrorists, but also involuntary commitments to the
century in information and communication information infrastructure due to user errors,
technologies (LCT)[1]. equipment failures and natural disasters [2].
Smart Grid offers new functions for the collection, The Smart Grid can be defined as an update to the
communication and exchange of data relating to existing power grid infrastructure, which is
energy consumption and these technologies in turn becoming more sustainable, more economical,

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www.rspsciencehub.com Volume 02 Issue 06 June 2020
more efficient and more reliable and contains recording usage readings. The smart grid promises
information and communication technologies to to provide flexibility and reliability, allowing
additional energy expenditures, facilitating the
enable mutual communication between all integration of new resources into the grid and
components. One of the possible approaches for allowing corrective resources in the event of
improving the resilience in an energy system is the failures. "Cybersecurity and communication of
integration of microgrids in the energy system.[3] power systems: essential parts of an intelligent grid
The electricity industry faces major challenges in infrastructure" warns: "The fact that SCADA / EMS
[supervising and acquiring data / power
integrating renewable energies into the existing management] systems are interconnected and
network for the transmission of mass energy, integrated with external systems creates new
namely protection, security of supply, fulfilment of possibilities and threats"[5] The purpose of a risk
base load requirements, etc. MG, which is management program is to identify risks,
integrated in intelligent sensors and managed by understand their likelihood and impact on the
company, and then implement security controls that
intelligent energy management systems (EMS), can mitigate risks. In addition to assessment and
medium to low voltage levels can be efficiently mitigation, a robust risk management program
integrated into the existing distribution network in includes continuous assessment and assessment of
order to maintain efficient, reliable and economical cyber security risks and controls throughout the
operation. The documents in this area are rich in entire life cycle of smart grid component software
"[6]. The smart grid harnesses the power of
information from the Department of Energy, the information technology to provide energy
International Standards Organization (ISO), and the intelligently using bidirectional communication and
NERC, the NIST, the Software Engineering wisely meets environmental requirements,
Institute (SEI) and the SANS Institute. Some serve facilitating the integration of green technology [7].
as a framework. At least one is a regulatory standard
for processes and documentation (ISO 27001)[4]. 1.2 Security Requirements and Objectives
The smart grid is made up of a large number of
interconnected devices. There are two types of data
that are exchanged through the smart grid:
information data and operational data. Perhaps
information on energy bills, trends, registration,
labelling, geographic location of historical reports,
consumer information and emails. The operational
data can be real-time current and voltage values,
transformer tap-changers, and capacitor banks,
current loads from the transformer power supplies,
fault positions, relay status, and switch status [8].
Operational data requires a high level of security to
protect smart grid systems from any vulnerabilities
and attacks that could cause a power outage. The
main objective of smart grids is that they are robust
Figure 1: Information and electricity flow
to continue operating or remain standing in the face
across a smart grid system (NISTIR 7628
of a disaster and withstand low probability, but high
Guidelines)
consequences. The second is the ingenuity that
effectively manages a disaster as it develops,
1.1 Smart grid’s features
identifying options, prioritizing what should be to
The main advantages envisaged by the smart grid control and mitigate the damage. Fourth the
are the increased network resilience and improved adaptability to absorb new lessons from a
environmental performance. Resilience indicates catastrophe that introduces new tools and
the ability of a given entity to withstand unexpected technologies to increase robustness,
events and to recover quickly thereafter. The resourcefulness and recovery before the next crisis
concepts of smart grids have been around for many [9].
years, starting with measurement. Companies have
long sought to reduce the cost of reading traditional
meters, with humans reaching the meter and

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www.rspsciencehub.com Volume 02 Issue 06 June 2020
2. The Interconnected Smart Grid router administration. ACLs should be defined in
routers between different communication interfaces
A smart grid uses innovative products and services, in the substation automation network to enforce
along with smart technologies for monitoring, cyber security
control, communication and self-regeneration [10].
A Smart Grid is an electric grid that can efficiently
integrate the behaviour and actions of all users
connected to it - generators, consumers and those
who do both - in order to guarantee economically
efficient and sustainable energy systems with low
losses and high levels of quality and security of
supply and security [8]. Since then, network cyber
security has become one of the main points on the
government and industrial agenda, with the
recognition that the more interconnected the
network becomes, the greater the attack surface.
The level of communication is the backbone of the Fig.2.security mechanism
Smart Grid and is vulnerable to cyber attacks. In the
past, concessionaires carried out communication .
operations on their networks [11]. b.Firewall level security: Some routers also act as
firewalls and help in creating secure cells of
2.1 New Approaches to Grid Security network. A firewall enforces an access control
policy between two networks. Transparent firewalls
Conventional approaches to network protection, can be used to add security to a network. Firewalls
involving hardware firewalls, encryption levels and can create alerts during attacks or failures by
multiple authentications, have dominated the logging, administering, and auditing network
response to security deficiencies. But there may be access. Secure control functions include inspection,
new and better ways to approach the topic. The content inspection, access control, user control,
biggest security threat today. Most innovations protocol and services control, and data control for
focus on attack research and management. India secure substation automation networking [14].
plans to implement a smart grid across the country c.Gateway level security: Gateways must be used
by 2027 in three five-year phases [12]. As part of to achieve cyber security against a variety of cyber
the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM), India attacks when the substation network is connected to
plans to invest more than INR 314 billion from 2012 a wide area network (WAN) or remotely accessed.
to 2017, with 14 pilot projects dealing with various A gateway collects metering, status, event, and fault
Smart Grid technologies. The implementation of report data from IEDs and RTUs.It can be achieved
Smart Grid in India is controlled by the India Smart by virtual private network (VPN) and encryption.
Grid Forum (ISGF) and the India Smart Grid Task d.Virtual private network (VPN): A VPN is used
Force (ISGTF). With mechanisms for better to establish an encrypted, secure connection
integration of variable sources of renewable energy, between two points across an insecure network. IP
such as wind and solar, the implementation of Smart packets are encrypted and encapsulated prior to
Grid allows countries to increase the percentage of being sent. This is known as tunnelling.
energy produced by these sources and,
4. Ongoing cyber challenges faced by the U.S.
consequently, reduce their dependence on sources
Various entities such as NERC, NIST, FERC, DHS,
of energy. Conventional hydrocarbon and nuclear
and the DoE have made security of the electricity
power [13].
grid a primary focus. However, various gaps still
3. Methods of cyber fortification of substations
exist and will require concentrated efforts: Four
a. Router level security: When data is transferred,
major issues need to be addressed for effective
a router reads the address information in the packet
deployment of Smart Grids [15].
to determine the ultimate destination. The access
1. Security threats.
control list (ACL) is a fundamental component of

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www.rspsciencehub.com Volume 02 Issue 06 June 2020
2. Privacy issues 5) Superior flexibility to responds to the
3. High expenses variability and uncertainty of conditions at
4. High tariffs. one or more timescales, including a range of
energy futures.
6) Increased sustainability through energy
Private efficient and renewable resources[16].
Virtual
Network Conclusions
A modern grid is vital to the country's existing and
Cyber future security, economy and lifestyle will provide
Router Fortification Gateway
the foundation for essential services that people rely
level on every day. The smart grid technology markets in
of Security
security
subsystem India are growing. The market segment is strongly
encouraged by the federal government, which
provides billions of resources for research and
Firewall development. This integrated network will be more
Level
Security reliable to prevent or reduce energy shortages and
provide people and businesses with access to the
latest consumer technologies to manage their
Fig 3. Methods of cyber fortification of
energy consumption. Researchers are now
substations
experimenting with smart grid technologies to
overcome the deficiency of the traditional grid,
Current which is based on one way, the utilities of the
Regulatory consumer system and is transformed into an
Environment
Lack of interconnected national system, which allows for a
coordinated massive transfer of electricity between regions in
Focus of Regulatory
monitoring of
Compliance more
industry
than comprehensive
the India.
compliance with
voluntary
Security Results
standards
Ongoing Cyber security of the smart grid is a major
Challenges as per
Government challenge, but it is essential to the success of the
regulatory smart grid applications. A high level of IT security
Lack of Security
Lack of metrics features can be achieved by combining the results of this
for the consistently research with a process that includes security as a
evaluation of Embeddded into
cyber security every component key design parameter for a smart grid system, a
Lack of an of Smart Grid
Effective process for maintaining security throughout the life
Mechanism for of the system. Protecting our infrastructure, smart
sharing and
dispensing grid and IoT environments requires all the needs of
information on industry participants to manage risk in components,
cyber security
subsystems and systems. The smart grid can be seen
Fig.4 cyber security challenges faced by as a network that allows the two-way flow of data
government and power between its various elements. it is self-
healing. It can distinguish, analyze, and respond to
4.2 according to grid modernization initiative, commotion. Smart grid technologies allow
modern grid should have – electricity grid operations to become more efficient,
1) Greater resilience to hazards of all types. reducing the losses in the conventional grid. The
2) Improved reliability for everyday quality of the supplied power is also higher and
operations. more consistent.
3) Enhanced security from an increasing and
evolving number of threats.
4) Additional affordability to maintain our
economic prosperity.

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