Review of Design Elements within Power Infrastructure Cyber–Physical Test Beds as Threat Analysis Environments

Bjorn Vaagensmith,Vivek Kumar Singh,Jacob Lehmer,Tyler Phillips,Milos Manic,Daniel L. Marino,Craig Rieger,Chathurika S. Wickramasinghe,Robert Ivans

doi:10.3390/en14051409

Bjorn Vaagensmith, Vivek Kumar Singh + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14051409

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Abstract

Cyber–physical systems (CPSs) are an integral part of modern society; thus, enhancing these systems’ reliability and resilience is paramount. Cyber–physical testbeds (CPTs) are a safe way to test and explore the interplay between the cyber and physical domains and to cost-effectively enhance the reliability and resilience of CPSs. Here a review of CPT elements, broken down into physical components (simulators, emulators, and physical hardware), soft components (communication protocols, network timing protocols), and user interfaces (visualization-dashboard design considerations) is presented. Various methods used to validate CPS performance are reviewed and evaluated for potential applications in CPT performance validation. Last, initial simulated results for a CPT design, based on the IEEE 33 bus system, are presented, along with a brief discussion on how model-based testing and fault–injection-based testing (using scaling and ramp-type attacks) may be used to help validate CPT performance.

Highlights

Electricity, used as a medium for either data or power transfer, plays an essential roll in maintaining and advancing the quality of life for modern society
It can be concluded that the impact of cyberattacks depends on the nature of attack, and the scaling attack injects more transient instability than a ramp attack because of its instantaneous change of the signal to extreme values
Representations of Cyber–physical testbeds (CPTs) physical, cybernetic, cyber–physical parts were reviewed within the context of balancing cost, computational expense, and fidelity

Summary

Introduction

Electricity, used as a medium for either data or power transfer, plays an essential roll in maintaining and advancing the quality of life for modern society. Ensuring the reliability and resilience of the electric power grid is essential. Cyberattacks may be deployed en masse (with frequencies as high as 10,000 attacks per minute [6]) alongside a natural disaster. To address these challenges and ensure resilient and reliable power-grid operation, the interplay between the digital and physical realm must be understood and properly guarded

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