Developing Cyber-Secure and Resilient Protection Schemes for Power Networks

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The recent trend to expand the use of Information Technology (IT) in power networks has made power systems potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Protection systems are among the most critical cyber-vulnerable components, as they directly affect the integrity and stability of power systems. Thus, the main objective of this research program is to facilitate a smooth transition to more-secure power grids by tackling the cyber-security challenges of protection systems. The short-term objectives of this program will focus on developing cyber-resilient substations, Communication-Assisted Protection (CAP) schemes, and Wide-Area Protection (WAP) schemes. 1- Substations: Protective relays are mainly utilized in substations to protect power system components. The increasing level of instrumentation and interconnectedness in substations exposes these relays to cyber-attacks, e.g., when substations are compromised. Thus, securing substations is the first step toward the cyber-resiliency of protection systems. This program will develop a Central Cyber-Security and Resiliency (CCSR) system within substations. The developed CCSR will have situational awareness about the IT and operational technology systems of a substation, and will be able to detect and mitigate cyber-intrusions. 2- CAP schemes: Although securing substations is necessary to prevent cyberattacks against protective relays, it is not adequate, since some relays operate based on external data communicated from the outside of substations. Hence, CAP schemes require additional defense to secure the external data. This research aims to develop cyber-resilient distributed CAP schemes by which relays can reliably detect faults and confirm the authenticity of the data received from neighbouring relays. 3- WAP schemes: WAP schemes, which complement conventional protective relays and avoid their malfunctions, operate using time-synchronized data from various locations in the network. The reliance of WAP schemes on communicated data, however, makes them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This research aims to develop techniques for each WAP scheme to detect, identify, and mitigate cyber-attacks. These techniques will check the legitimacy of received data before being used for control and protection purposes. The objectives of this program include the development of tools that will reinforce the cyber-resiliency of CAP and WAP schemes and substations. This program will benefit its industrial beneficiaries by (i) developing tools and guidelines to secure their systems and products against cyber-attacks, and (ii) training high-quality personnel who can address their future security needs. This program will have positive implications on Canadian society and its economy, by decreasing the number of cyber-attack-related blackouts and brownouts and their associated costs, and will enhance the national security of the country. Thus, the indirect beneficiaries in Canada are the government and general public.