Interconnecting “things” and devices that takes the form of wearables, sensors, actuators, mobiles, computers, meters, or even vehicles is a critical requirement for the current era. These inter-networked connections are serving the emerging applications home and building automation, smart cities and infrastructure, smart industries, and smart-everything. However, the security of these connected Internet of things (IoT) plays a centric role with no margin for error. After a review of the relevant, online literature on the topic and after looking at the market trends and developments, one can notice that there are still concerns with regard to security in IoT products and services. This paper is focusing on a survey on IoT security and aims to highlight the most significant problems related to safety and security in the IoT ecosystems. This survey identifies the general threat and attack vectors against IoT devices while highlighting the flaws and weak points that can lead to breaching the security. Furthermore, this paper presents solutions for remediation of the compromised security, as well as methods for risk mitigation, with prevention and improvement suggestions.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42979-020-00201-3.pdf

Security Considerations for Internet of Things: A Survey

The cognitive radio-based sensor network (CRSN) is envisioned as a strong driver in the development of modern power system smart grids (SGs). This can address the spectrum limitation in the sensor nodes due to interference cause by other wireless devices operating on the same unlicensed frequency in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical band. These sensor nodes are used for monitoring and control purposes in various components of a SG, ranging from generation, transmission, and distribution, and down to the consumer, including monitoring of utility network assets. A reliable SG communication network architecture is required for transferring information which needed by the SG applications, alongside the monitoring and control by CRSN. Hence, this paper investigates and explores the CRSN conceptual framework, and SG communication architecture with its applications; vis-a-vis the communication access technologies, including implementation design with quality of service support. Consequently, this paper highlights various research gaps, such as implementation design model, utilization of LPWAN for CRSN based SG deployment, and so on. This includes discussion on the future direction for various aspects of the CRSN in SG. To address these research gaps, we introduced a smart unified communication solution to improve the efficiency of the SG and mitigate various associated challenges.

Cognitive Radio Based Sensor Network in Smart Grid: Architectures, Applications and Communication Technologies

Towards collaborative Virtual Power Plants: Trends and convergence

Recently, the operation of distribution systems does not depend on the state or utility based on centralized procedures, but rather the decentralization of the decisions of the distribution companies whose objectives are the efficiency of interconnectivity. Therefore, distribution companies are exposed to greater risks, and due to this, the need to make decisions based on increasingly reliable models has grown up considerably. Therefore, we present a survey of key aspects, technologies, protocols, and case studies of the current and future trend of Smart Grids. This work proposes a taxonomy of a large number of technologies in Smart Grids and their applications in scenarios of Smart Networks, Neural Networks, Blockchain, Industrial Internet of Things, or Software-Defined Networks. Therefore, this work summarizes the main features of 94 research articles ranging the last four years. We classify these survey, according Smart Grid Network Topologies, because it can group as the main axis the sensors applied to Smart Grids, as it shows us the interconnection forms generalization of the Smart Networks with respect to the sensors found in a home or industry.

A Comprehensive Review on Smart Grids: Challenges and Opportunities.

Increasing volatilities within power transmission and distribution force power grid operators to amplify their use of communication infrastructure to monitor and control their grid. The resulting increase in communication creates a larger attack surface for malicious actors. Indeed, cyber attacks on power grids have already succeeded in causing temporary, large-scale blackouts in the recent past. In this paper, we analyze the communication infrastructure of power grids to derive resulting fundamental challenges of power grids with respect to cybersecurity. Based on these challenges, we identify a broad set of resulting attack vectors and attack scenarios that threaten the security of power grids. To address these challenges, we propose to rely on a defense-in-depth strategy, which encompasses measures for (i) device and application security, (ii) network security, and (iii) physical security, as well as (iv) policies, procedures, and awareness. For each of these categories, we distill and discuss a comprehensive set of state-of-the art approaches, as well as identify further opportunities to strengthen cybersecurity in interconnected power grids.

/pdf/cybersecurity-in-power-grids-challenges-and-opportunities-4hjfpxik08.pdf

Cybersecurity in Power Grids: Challenges and Opportunities.

In this paper, a false data injection prevention protocol (FDIPP) for smart grid distribution systems is proposed. The protocol is designed to work over a novel hierarchical communication network architecture that matches the distribution system hierarchy and its vast number of entities. The proposed protocol guarantees both system and data integrity via preventing packet injection, duplication, alteration, and rogue node access. Therefore, it prevents service disruption or damaging power network assets due to drawing the wrong conclusions about the current operating status of the power grid. Moreover, the impact of the FDIPP protocol on communication network performance is studied using intensive computer simulations. The simulation study shows that the proposed communication architecture is scalable and meets the packet delay requirements of inter-substation communication as mandated by IEC 61850-90-1 with a minimal packet loss while the security overhead of FDIPP is taken into account.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/3/679/pdf

FDIPP: False Data Injection Prevention Protocol for Smart Grid Distribution Systems.

The distribution system is one of the main components in a a smart grid, readings are transferred from the distribution substations to the control center. Compromising system data will result in drawing wrong conclusions about current operation status at the control center, and subsequently, sending wrong commands, which may result in very serious consequences. In this paper, we propose a scalable communications architecture for future smart grid distribution systems (i.e. SADSA). The architecture is adaptable to use WiFi or other technologies to transfer smart grid information. The architecture is studied from various angles. Both communication and cybersecurity challenges are extracted. In addition, the paper provides a detailed discussion on how the proposed architecture meets National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security requirements for smart grids.

SADSA: Security aware distribution system architecture for smart grid applications

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are used extensively to monitor/control utility power distribution networks. However, the current SCADA systems cannot accommodate the demand of smart grid high data rate applications such as asset monitoring using video surveillance for fault prediction and self-healing purposes. Consequently, wireless networking is envisioned as a strong candidate to extend the monitoring capabilities of SCADA systems with easy-to-deploy high data rate devices. Nevertheless, the limited resources of a single wireless network may not allow transferring a large volume of delay-sensitive smart grid information while satisfying the packet delay requirements. This paper investigates, via a hardware measurement-based study, the packet delay performance of multihomed wireless transceivers. Multihomed transceivers are capable of sending different data packets (not packet replicas) over heterogeneous wireless networks simultaneously. The paper also offers a packet delay analysis for dual-homed wireless nodes connected to a WiFi network via one of their interfaces. A comparative experimental and analytical study is conducted for the delay performance of single-interface WiFi transceivers and multihomed transceivers. Our results show that the traffic load distribution among different interfaces has a significant impact on the effectiveness of using multihoming for smart grids.

Wireless multihoming for smart grid high data rate applications

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Title and Abstract (in Arabic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Table of

/pdf/securing-the-integrity-of-the-power-distribution-system-for-18gg2o347e.pdf

Hosam Hittini

Papers

FDIPP: False Data Injection Prevention Protocol for Smart Grid Distribution Systems.

SADSA: Security aware distribution system architecture for smart grid applications

Wireless multihoming for smart grid high data rate applications

Securing the integrity of the power distribution system for smart grid applications