Vulnerability of the Load Frequency Control Against the Network Parameter Attack

Abstract

By integrating the communication-enabled high-voltage electronic devices into the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the smart grid achieves flexible, economic, controllable operations of remote and real-time electricity transmission and distribution. However, it has been widely recognized that the SCADA system is vulnerable to unprecedented cyberattacks. In this paper, we propose a novel attack, namely, a network parameter attack (NPA), on the physical parameter of the branch to affect the load frequency control. The idea is to modify the control signal sent to the thyristor-controlled series compensator (TCSC) device to change the reactance of the transmission line, thus, inflicting the grid frequency stability. We first provide a sufficient condition for NPA to cause frequency instability. To further provide more insights, we analyze the impact of NPA on frequency stability based on the eigenvalue sensitivity. The vulnerable transmission lines are screened out based on the error caused by the NPA on the eigenvalues. Furthermore, we develop a least-effort but maximum-impact attack strategy considering the attacker’s limited resources. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations to validate the effectiveness of the attack and evaluate its impact on the system’s operation.