Collaborative Research: Defense against Measurement Attacks on the Power Grid

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As the power grid becomes increasingly dependent on connectivity through information and communications technology, this critical infrastructure faces significant threats from cyber attacks. Among various cyber attacks, measurement attacks achieve goals by falsifying measurements to manipulate control commands. Four cohesive research thrusts are proposed to develop: (i) a unified analytical framework to characterize the impact conditions of measurement attacks on the large-scale, dynamic power grid. (ii) methods to identify coordinated measurement attacks that are launched from non-collusive groups, (iii) fast and accurate detection algorithms considering critical response time of the grid, and (iv) defense strategies at multiple levels of the grid to deter repetitive attacks at critical targets. The research results will be validated on a cyber-physical power grid test bed in realistic settings. Intellectual Merit: This project is among the first aiming to develop an analytical framework for diverse coordinated measurement attacks on the dynamic power grid. It will address important challenges of identifying attack goals and intercepting potential threats in realistic settings. This framework will not only enable us to develop more effective defense mechanisms for the power grid, but also bring important insights of cyber-physical causal chains in dynamic systems to other research communities. This project is also among the few that unify the cyber-protection capabilities and grid context information with system-theoretic approaches. It will result in algorithmic tools that integrate the defense efforts on multiple levels of the grid, vertically enhancing grid security while reducing the overall defense cost.Broader Impacts: This project will entailer transformative impact through real-world applications in the power industry and extensive educational initiatives at Ohio State University (OSU) and Washington State University (WSU). Both PIs have strong collaborations with power utilities, power technology companies, and national laboratories, which will facilitate the dissemination of research outcomes into security solutions based on real-world requirements. Education is emphasized by leveraging multiple outreach activities at OSU and WSU. This project will also result in one graduate level course, and several online education modules to be made available to institutions nationwide.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.