Risk Assessment for Cyber Attacks in Feeder Automation System

Abstract

The operating conditions of distribution system can be perceived and optimized rapidly and effectively with the help of information and communication technology. However, some potential cybersecurity risk needs to arouse enough attention. In this paper, a novel and practical cyber-attack method targeting remote terminal unit (RTU) is proposed firstly. Regarding the enormous cyber-physical devices in a distribution system and the high maintenance costs, this paper also introduces a risk index to identify the vulnerability of a distribution system to be studied under cyber-attack. A Bayesian attack graph model is applied to quantify the probability of successfully exploiting known and zero-day vulnerabilities, and the relationship between the attack behavior and the feeder automation action is further analyzed. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the proposed model and method.