On Vulnerability and Resilience of Cyber-Physical Power Systems: A Review

Abstract

Power systems have been transformed into cyber-physical systems that integrate electric grids with advanced information technology and operational technology. To ensure reliable and resilient operations of such systems, it is important to understand the system vulnerability and quantify system resilience. This article provides an overview of existing work on vulnerability assessment and resilience quantification related to cyber-physical power systems, and it identifies research gaps and opportunities to enhance resilience. Specifically, we first review the definition and architecture of cyber-physical power systems, and then, summarize existing approaches to assess vulnerability and resilience. Later, we identify several research gaps that have not been well addressed yet and point out possible future work to fill the gap. Although this article focuses on cyber-physical power systems, the research can also benefit stakeholders of other critical infrastructures.