This US research project will reinforce substation cyber resilience

As cyberattacks on the electrical grid continue to demonstrate lethality, a research project funded by the US DOE is aimed at mitigating attacks against substations, vulnerable for often-times being unstaffed and in remote locations.

Chen-Ching Liu, electric power professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech and director of the Power and Energy Center, will alongside his team develop Cyber-REsilience for SubsTations (CREST) technology over the next three years.

CREST operates in three main phases: detection, mitigation and recovery. The new methodology emphasizes the detection of cyberthreats and mitigation of these threats by enhancing cyber resilience.

Liu will work alongside academics, industry professionals and the Department of Energy (DOE) on the tech through $3 million in funding from the DOE.

In announcing the project, Virginia Tech cites how substations are usually unstaffed and often in remote locations. They also far outnumber power plants and control centres, making them a prime target for cyberattackers looking to cause as much damage as possible.

“Recovery from a catastrophic power outage caused by cyberattacks is a new challenge to the industry,” said Liu.

“In the past, power system restoration has been primarily concerned with the recovery of the physical grid from weather-related events. The recovery of compromised cyber systems together with the physical grid is a new issue to be addressed.”

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Research break down

A key component of the research is the protection and enhancement of intelligent electronic devices.

These devices, which already exist in current power grid technology, allow portions of the substations and power grid to communicate with each other.

Using machine-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence, Liu’s team will mimic cyberattacks that can be detected and stopped in their tracks to prevent the spread of malevolence to other points in the grid.

While detection and mitigation are preferred, Liu and his team also understand that recovery methods will still be necessary – especially as attackers become more persistent and successful at their craft.

To aid in this recovery, Ming Jin, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering and machine-learning expert, will develop Smart Cyber Switching technology.

This smart switch will allow for compromised intelligent electronic devices to switch over to their healthy counterparts, restoring electricity and preventing further damage and infiltration of the substation.

To test the new methodology, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative has provided the use of its computational testbed, which is “critically needed to provide a realistic environment to create a wide range of attack scenarios, evaluate the impact and validate the effectiveness of these new defence measures.”

Other team members involved in the project include the University of Michigan-Dearborn as well as industry representatives from Southern Company research and development (R&D) and General Electric.

Liu and the team expect to validate the proposed CREST solution at a substation in the Southern Company system in 2024.

By testing hardware-in-the-loop with real-time digital simulators and network communications software, cyberattack scenarios will be introduced and evaluated.

By collaborating with Southern Company’s R&D organisation and General Electric, the team aims to develop a commercially viable cybersecurity solution.