Collaborative Research: Resiliency against Coordinated Cyber Attacks on Power Grid

现代电网是一个网络物理系统，越来越依赖于各种传感器、控制系统和通信网络来实现监测、保护和控制。 网络组件提供的攻击面增加，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）认定为高影响低频率事件。这些攻击如果结构巧妙，会对电力基础设施产生重大影响吗？的安全性和充分性。 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，捕捉网络漏洞以及由于成功攻击而导致的电网后果，包括系统充足性和不稳定性;（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）以测试为基础的安全评估，以量化风险，并评估弹性算法在合理和复杂的攻击情况下的有效性。这项研究的结果将显着推进电力系统规划，以设计超越传统（N-1）应急标准的未来电网，该标准要求对任何单个组件的损失具有弹性。研究结果还将为建模、分析和缓解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。该项目将开发一个新的课程，包括提供一个新的智能电网网络安全课程，并吸引本科生，重点是代表性不足的少数民族，在试验台设计和网络防御竞争。外展活动将包括在专业会议中促进网络安全研究和教育，并通过利用大学外展计划让学生接触网络安全问题。这一项目成果将在确保国家安全方面产生更广泛的影响。美国的电网抵御网络攻击，并有助于在国家需要的这一关键领域发展高技能的劳动力。

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.