Fortifying Energy Infrastructure: Advancing Smart Grid Cybersecurity Through Research and Development

Needs And Requirements:

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, safeguarding energy infrastructure against cyber threats is paramount. The establishment of the Smart Grid Security Research Chair, supported by Concordia University, Hydro Québec, Hitachi Cyber, NSERC, and PROMPT, underscores the critical importance of addressing cybersecurity challenges in the energy sector. The need to understand the security requirements of smart grid systems, identify attack surfaces and vulnerabilities, and develop advanced AI techniques is more pressing than ever as smart grid infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected and reliant on digital technologies.

Main Challenges:

1. Understanding Specific Security Needs: Adequately understanding the unique security requirements of smart grid systems is imperative to ensure resilience against cyber threats.
2. Exploring Attack Surfaces and Vulnerabilities: Conducting thorough assessments to explore potential attack surfaces, vulnerabilities, and threats targeting smart grid infrastructure is essential for proactive security measures.
3. Developing Advanced Security Techniques: Elaborating advanced AI techniques to strengthen the overall security posture of smart grid systems is crucial for staying ahead of evolving cyber threats.

Solution:

Architecture Security: Hitachi Cyber, in collaboration with its partners, is conducting research to explore the security of various smart grid domains, including IEC 61850 substations, microgrids, Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), Distributed Automation Systems (DAS), Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), and Wide Area Measurement, Protection, and Control (WAMPAC) systems. The research aims to elicit smart grid security requirements, identify attack surfaces, vulnerabilities, IT and OT threats, and their consequences, and elaborate AI advanced techniques to considerably harden the overall smart grid security.

Outcomes:

The establishment of the Smart Grid Security Research Chair signifies a proactive approach to addressing cybersecurity challenges in the energy sector. By leveraging collective expertise and resources, the collaboration aims to strengthen the security of smart grid systems, ultimately enhancing resilience against cyber threats.

Next Steps:

Moving forward, the partners will continue their collaborative research efforts, focusing on achieving the objectives outlined for the Research Chair. Through ongoing exploration and innovation, they aim to advance knowledge and practices in smart grid security, contributing to the overall resilience and reliability of energy infrastructure.