scholarly journals Exploring the Privacy Issues of Smart-Grid Infrastructure – A Network Security Perspective

The proposed smart grid infrastructure aims to make use of the existing public networks such as internet for data communication between consumer premises to the public power utility network. The smart-grid adopts smart-meters which basically collect vast amount of data to provide a holistic view of the connected load behavior and preferences pattern related to power and water consumption. The smart-grids provide benefits to the utilities and consumers alike. For utilities the benefits are real time data collection, ease of power management, and reduced personnel requirement. The benefits for the users on the other hand include availability of real time usage data, providing information on ways to minimize power consumption, monetary savings and so on. Since, the smart-grid uses existing public networks the utilities do not have the burden of installing any new infrastructure (except for installing the smart-meters), thus an added advantage. But, the downside of using the public network is susceptibility to a variety of network attacks, if not guarded well against. This paper talks about the various network security vulnerabilities that exist and the measures to patch the same before employing in the smart grid networks.

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Abdallah A. Smadi ◽  
Babatunde Tobi Ajao ◽  
Brian K. Johnson ◽  
Hangtian Lei ◽  
Yacine Chakhchoukh ◽  
...  

The integration of improved control techniques with advanced information technologies enables the rapid development of smart grids. The necessity of having an efficient, reliable, and flexible communication infrastructure is achieved by enabling real-time data exchange between numerous intelligent and traditional electrical grid elements. The performance and efficiency of the power grid are enhanced with the incorporation of communication networks, intelligent automation, advanced sensors, and information technologies. Although smart grid technologies bring about valuable economic, social, and environmental benefits, testing the combination of heterogeneous and co-existing Cyber-Physical-Smart Grids (CP-SGs) with conventional technologies presents many challenges. The examination for both hardware and software components of the Smart Grid (SG) system is essential prior to the deployment in real-time systems. This can take place by developing a prototype to mimic the real operational circumstances with adequate configurations and precision. Therefore, it is essential to summarize state-of-the-art technologies of industrial control system testbeds and evaluate new technologies and vulnerabilities with the motivation of stimulating discoveries and designs. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the advancement of CP-SGs with their corresponding testbeds including diverse testing paradigms has been performed. In particular, we broadly discuss CP-SG testbed architectures along with the associated functions and main vulnerabilities. The testbed requirements, constraints, and applications are also discussed. Finally, the trends and future research directions are highlighted and specified.


Author(s):  
Yona Lopes ◽  
Natalia Castro Fernandes ◽  
Tiago Bornia de Castro ◽  
Vitor dos Santos Farias ◽  
Julia Drummond Noce ◽  
...  

Advances in smart grids and in communication networks allow the development of an interconnected system where information arising from different sources helps building a more reliable electrical network. Nevertheless, this interconnected system also brings new security threats. In the past, communication networks for electrical systems were restrained to closed and secure areas, which guaranteed network physical security. Due to the integration with smart meters, clouds, and other information sources, physical security to network access is no longer available, which may compromise the electrical system. Besides smart grids bring a huge growth in data volume, which must be managed. In order to achieve a successful smart grid deployment, robust network communication to provide automation among devices is necessary. Therefore, outages caused by passive or active attacks become a real threat. This chapter describes the main architecture flaws that make the system vulnerable to attacks for creating energy disruptions, stealing energy, and breaking privacy.


2022 ◽  
pp. 380-407
Author(s):  
Abdelmadjid Recioui ◽  
Youcef Grainat

The communication infrastructure constitutes the key element in smart grids. There have been great advances to enhance the way data is communicated among the different smart grid applications. The aim of this chapter is to present the data communication part of the smart grid with some pioneering developments in this topic. A succinct review of the state of art projects to improve the communication link is presented. An illustrative simulation using LABVIEW is included with a proposed idea of introducing some newly technologies involved in the current and future generations of wireless communication systems.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Alonso ◽  
Hortensia Amaris ◽  
Daniel Alcala ◽  
Diana M. Florez R.

Sensors for monitoring electrical parameters over an entire electricity network infrastructure play a fundamental role in protecting smart grids and improving the network’s energy efficiency. When a short circuit takes place in a smart grid it has to be sensed as soon as possible to reduce its fault duration along the network and to reduce damage to the electricity infrastructure as well as personal injuries. Existing protection devices, which are used to sense the fault, range from classic analog electro-mechanics relays to modern intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). However, both types of devices have fixed adjustment settings (offline stage) and do not provide any coordination among them under real-time operation. In this paper, a new smart sensor is developed that offers the capability to update its adjustment settings during real-time operation, in coordination with the rest of the smart sensors spread over the network. The proposed sensor and the coordinated protection scheme were tested in a standard smart grid (IEEE 34-bus test system) under different short circuit scenarios and renewable energy penetration. Results suggest that the short-circuit fault sensed by the smart sensor is improved up to 80% and up to 64% compared with analog electromechanics relays and IEDs, respectively.


2014 ◽  
Vol 704 ◽  
pp. 186-189
Author(s):  
Ming Sheng Gao ◽  
Hui Jiang

Due to the volatility and intermittence of wind generation, it is challenging to develop an economic dispatch algorithm for smart grids that not only meets the dynamic demand of electric energy, but also maximizes the benefits of energy suppliers using such renewable resource. In this paper, we account for smart grids with two categories of energy users, namely traditional energy users and opportunistic energy users, and address pricing and dispatch at one period of time (e.g., in hours). We model this problem as a stochastic programming problem that can be solved to determine the optimal day-ahead retail price, real-time price and the procurement of electricity energy.


10.6036/10085 ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-97
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Olivares Rojas ◽  
ENRIQUE REYES ARCHUNDIA ◽  
JOSE ANTONIO GUTIERREZ GNECCHI ◽  
ARTURO MENDEZ PATIÑO ◽  
JAIME CERDA JACOBO ◽  
...  

Although smart grids offer multiple advantages over traditional grids, there are still challenges to overcome to ensure the quality of service and grid security. In particular, cybersecurity plays an essential role in ensuring grid operation reliability and resilience to external threats. The traditional approach to address cybersecurity issues generally does not consider the human factor as the main component. Recently, the concept of cyber hygiene has emerged, where social and human aspects are fundamental to reduce vulnerabilities and the risk of attacks and breaches. In a similar manner to personal hygiene, which greatly influences people’s health, considering the human factor (i.e., human behaviour, awareness, and training) as a critical cybersecurity component, can significantly improve human operator cybersecurity practices that in turn can result in improved cybersecurity performance. In this paper, the authors propose and test a methodology for implementing cyber hygiene practices in the context of Smart Grid systems, focused on smart metering systems. The results suggest that implementing cyber hygiene practices can improve smart meter cybersecurity and be suitable for implementing other sensitive Smart Grid components. Key Words: Cybersecurity, Cyber Hygiene, Internet of Things, Smart Grid, Smart Meters.


Author(s):  
Nawal Ait Aali ◽  
Amine Baina ◽  
Loubna Echabbi

Currently, smart grids have changed the world, given the great benefits of these critical infrastructures regarding the customers' satisfaction by offering them the electrical energy that they need for their business. Also, the smart grid aims to solve all the problems encountered in the current electrical grid (outage, lack of renewable energy, an excess in the produced power, etc.) by transmitting and sharing the information in real time between the different entities through the installation of the sensors. This chapter therefore presents the architecture of the smart grid by describing its objectives and advantages. In addition, the microgrids are presented as small electric networks. Then, focusing on the security aspects, an analysis of the different attacks and risks faced in the smart grids and more particularly in the microgrids is presented. After, different techniques and suitable security solutions are detailed to protect and secure the various elements of the smart grids and microgrids.


Author(s):  
Abdelmadjid Recioui ◽  
Youcef Grainat

The communication infrastructure constitutes the key element in smart grids. There have been great advances to enhance the way data is communicated among the different smart grid applications. The aim of this chapter is to present the data communication part of the smart grid with some pioneering developments in this topic. A succinct review of the state of art projects to improve the communication link is presented. An illustrative simulation using LABVIEW is included with a proposed idea of introducing some newly technologies involved in the current and future generations of wireless communication systems.


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