Cyber Security Issues for IoT based Smart Grid Infrastructure

Abstract

We have been witnessing for several years the increasing networking of objects of all kinds that were not previously used to communicate. These newly connected objects together form the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). The energy sector is currently exploring the possibilities offered by the Internet of Things. However, for this sector, network intelligence is not a completely new phenomenon. The electrical networks already have information retrieval capacities for their monitoring and control, but these are still limited. The meeting of IoT and Smart Grids opens the way to data collection from all points of the network and in real time. Certain data previously collected in an aggregated manner over large geographic areas could now be collected on a local scale, near production or transmission points, and at a reasonable cost. It is also the massive accumulation of this data and its processing that is possible today. The smart grid is a network for the transport and distribution of electricity that is enhanced by capacities in terms of digital control, surveillance and telecommunications. It provides a two-way, real-time exchange of energy and information between the various players in the electricity chain, from the production site to commercial, industrial and residential users. The energy transition and the new smart grids raise many challenges in terms of industrial cybersecurity. Digital exchanges are intensifying (production, distribution and consumption are interconnected) and the use of connected objects (facilitating remote monitoring, observation and control of the entire value chain) increases the degree of vulnerability of information systems industrial. The cybersecurity of smart grids is today a decisive element in ensuring global security of our global energy systems. The purpose of this work is to present a comprehensive overview of challenges, threats and some solutions of security in IoT based smart grid. We focus in our study in network vulnerabilities, security requirements and cyber-attacks in smart grid in order to determine their impact in the network and give a guide on future research directions for cyber-security in smart grid applications.