Cybersecurity for Smart Grid: Threats, Solutions and Standardization

Smart grid technology is developing at a very rapid pace. Energy sector is going under massive transformation as a result of smart grid design and development. It is characterized by full duplex communication of information along with bidirectional flow of electricity. Smart grid is an amalgamation of power and communication infrastructures. It is a complex hierarchical architecture with heterogeneous communication networks. Smart grid is an automated network with self-healing capability. A central controller manages an entire operation. A robust and secured infrastructure is inevitable for enormous amount of data communication. Cybersecurity is an indispensable constituent of smart grid technology. Limited spectrum availability, communication delays, interoperability between various protocols and network scalability are major challenges for the deployment of secured infrastructure. Smart grid is being transformed from idea to actual execution and deployment. There are several issues and challenges to be deciphered during design, development and deployment process. Cybersecurity is one of the key challenges for secured and reliable operation of smart grid technology. Cyber security can be defined as protection from exactions transported by computer network and/or terminals and the safety of assets from intentional or unintentional alterations or damage from malicious use of software-based control services. Smart grid communication infrastructure integrates WSN, communication transceivers, AMI, SCADA, electronics devices with firmware and various network devices used for hierarchical communication network layers. All these components are crucial and inevitable for smart grid communication infrastructure. These components are susceptible to cyberattacks. NIST has provided strategy for standardization of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a ubiquitous notion as smart grid is an always ON network comprising of IoT. This paper is anticipated to serve as a survey and study of various cybersecurity concerns pertaining to smart grid and possible elucidations.