Projects:2017s1-167c Smart Grid Security

Project Team

Juin Hao Yau

Supervisors

Dr Matthew Sorell

Introduction

Smart grids are the next generation of power grids which can improve the standard grid in terms of efficiency, reliability, connectivity and is more cost efficient. Over the years, the traditional grid has been facing with many power problems which lead to blackouts. Because of this many countries are slowly replacing the traditional grid with smart grid and other countries will soon adopt smart grids. A smart grid is composed of different systems and a major system is the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). AMI is not a single system by itself, but contains sub-systems like smart meters, Home Area Network (HAN) and Meter Data Management System (MDMS) which connects the customer to the operator. The AMI is able to provide two-way communication between the customer and operator as the communication link not only provides electricity but also information. However, because the smart grid is interconnected and contains communication systems, it is more susceptible to cyber attacks. In order to ensure the safety of the smart grid in terms of cyber security, it is important to first focus on the cyber security issues in AMI. The cyber security issues in AMI can be categorized into three main parts; privacy issues, unauthorized command and modification issues, and Denial-of-Service issues. It is also important to identify the perpetrator involve in the cyber security issues. From previous research, attackers can range from customers to terrorists. This research will first identify cyber security issues in AMI and their appropriate causes then to discuss them. The aim of this research is to provide an overall view of cyber security issues in AMI and to act as a reference and guide for future AMI works.