False Data Attacks Against AC State Estimation With Incomplete Network Information

TLDR: It is shown that an attacker can construct an undetectable attack vector against ac state estimation based on a few measurements in the attacking region associated with boundary buses without knowing the full topology and parameter information of the entire power network.

Abstract: Power systems are being exposed to cyber-attacks due to the high integration of information technology and the vulnerability of communication networks. Existing false data attacks research focus on dc state estimation. In this paper, we show that an attacker can construct an undetectable attack vector against ac state estimation based on a few measurements in the attacking region associated with boundary buses without knowing the full topology and parameter information of the entire power network. An iteration approach is adopted to obtain the attack vector. The simulations on the IEEE 14-bus and 118-bus systems are used to demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed attack scheme. This paper provides a basis to study the attack behaviors under the ac case, and a theoretical guide to develop protection strategies and detection methods.