Collaborative Research: Resiliency against Coordinated Cyber Attacks on Power Grid

现代电网是一个信息物理系统，它越来越依赖于各种传感器、控制系统和通信网络，以达到监测、保护和控制的目的。网络组件所呈现的增加的攻击面为对手提供了充分的机会对电网进行协调的网络攻击。这些攻击已被北美可靠性公司（NERC）认定为高影响低频事件。巧妙组织的攻击，能显著影响电力基础设施吗？S安全性和充分性。该项目将开发一个全面的网络安全框架，以及相关的算法和分析方法，以保护电网免受协同网络攻击。这包括：(i)开发创新的风险模型，以捕捉网络漏洞，以及由于成功攻击而导致的电网中系统充分性和不稳定性的后果；（ii）开发新的系统弹性算法，利用特定领域异常检测和电力系统缓解策略之间的协同作用；（iii）基于测试平台的安全评估，以量化风险并评估弹性算法在合理和复杂的攻击场景下的有效性。这项研究的结果将大大推动电力系统规划，设计未来电网，超越传统的（N-1）应急标准，这需要任何单个组件损失的弹性。研究结果还将为模拟、分析和减轻针对关键基础设施系统的协同网络攻击奠定坚实的科学基础。该项目将开发一门新颖的课程，包括提供一门关于智能电网网络安全的新课程，并让本科生参与测试平台设计和网络防御竞赛，重点关注少数族裔。外展活动将包括在专业会议上促进网络安全研究和教育，并利用大学外展计划让学生了解网络安全问题。该项目的成果将对国家安全产生更广泛的影响。美国电网抵御网络攻击，并有助于在这一国家需求的关键领域培养高技能劳动力。

The modern electric grid is a cyber-physical system that increasingly depends on a variety of sensors, control systems, and communication networks for the purpose of monitoring, protection, and control. The increased attack surface presented by the cyber components provides adversaries with ample opportunities to perform coordinated cyber attacks on the power grid. These attacks have been recognized as High-Impact Low-Frequency events by the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC). The attacks when smartly structured, can significantly affect the power infrastructure?s security and adequacy. This project will develop a comprehensive cyber security framework, with associated algorithms and analytical methods, to protect the power grid against coordinated cyber attacks. This includes: (i) the development of innovative risk models that capture cyber vulnerabilities as well as the resulting consequences in the grid, due to successful attacks, in terms of and system adequacy and instability; (ii) the development of novel system resiliency algorithms leveraging synergy between domain-specific anomaly detection and power system mitigation strategies; (iii) testbed-based security evaluations to quantify the risks and evaluate the effectiveness of resiliency algorithms under plausible and sophisticated attack scenarios. The outcome of this research will significantly advance power system planning to design the future grid beyond the traditional (N-1) contingency criteria, which requires resiliency with the loss of any single component. The results will also lay a solid scientific foundation to model, analyze, and mitigate coordinated cyber attacks against critical infrastructure systems. The project will develop a novel curriculum that includes offering a new course in cyber security of smart grid and engaging undergraduate students, with emphasis on underrepresented minorities, in testbed design and cyber-defense competition. The outreach activities will include promoting cyber security research and education in professional conferences and exposing students to cyber security issues by leveraging university outreach program. This project outcome will make broader impacts in securing nation?s power grid against cyber attacks and contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce in this critical area of national need.