Smart Grid Communication

Infrastructure

Dr. Muhammad Tariq

Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
FAST-NUCES
Peshawar Campus 1
 Contents
• Smart Grid Overview

• Smart Grid Features

• Overview of Existing Power System

• Smart Grid Communication Infrastructure

• Communication Technologies

• Security Issues in Smart Grid

• Security Attack Types

– Physical Attacks

– Cyber Attacks

– Component Based Attack

• Security Solutions

• Conclusions 2
Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3
 My Co-authored book on the smart gird
Published by John Wiley & Sons March 2015

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 3

Overview of the Smart Grid
 Overview of the Smart Grid
What caused the
blackout?
 Power Equipment Failures?
 Mistakes by People?

 Information Flow Design Flaws?

What does this blackout have to do with
Security? And Information Flow Design
Flaws? Are those Smart Grid Security
Issues?
Yes, the blackout was caused by a software
bug in the alarm system at a control room
What is this picture?
August 14, 2003 Northeast Blackout –
(enhanced photo)
5
 Smart Grid Overview (contd.)

Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 6

 Smart Grid Overview
(Utility Wish List)

What is consumer
wish list?

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 7

 Smart Grid Overview
According to the United States Department of Energy, a
modern smart grid must:
How to achieve all this?
• Be able to heal itself
• Motivate consumers to actively manage usage
• Resist to physical and cyber attacks
• Provide higher quality power
• Accommodate all generation and storage options
• Enable electricity markets to flourish
• Run more efficiently
• Enable intermittent power generation sources
8
 Smart Grid Features

Distinctive features from the current power grid

9
 Smart Grid Features
• Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI):
• Establish two-way communications between advanced meters and utility
business systems.

• Demand response and consumer energy efficiency:

• Provide mechanisms and incentives for customers to cut energy use during
times of peak demand.

• Distribution grid management:

• Maximize the performance of feeders, transformers, and other components
of distribution systems.

• Cyber security:
• Ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the electronic info.
10
 Smart Grid Features (contd.)
• Electric transportation
• Enable large-scale integration of Plug in Electric Vehicles (PEVs).

• Provide the means to store energy.

• Network communications
• Identify performance metrics and core operational requirements of
various Smart Grid applications.

• Wide-Area Situational Awareness (WASA)

• Monitoring and display of power-system components over large
geographic areas in near real time to optimize management of grid
components and performance and respond to problems before
disruptions arise.
Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 11
 Overview of Existing Power Grid
Generation Transmission Distribution Customer Premises

Substation
Power HV to MV MV to LV
HV lines Meter Loads
Plant Step down Transformer
transformer
Hydro 45%
Hydrocarbon
Natural Gas 23% 750, 500, 345, 230, 39, 26, 13 & 4kV 120 & 240V
Coal 20% and 138 kV
Nuclear 7%
Other 5%

Microgrid

Smart
Substation Substation Meter Customer

Non-renewable Enegy Electric Vehicle

Microgrid
Wind Enegy Solar Enegy 12
Power Generation Power Transmission Grid Power Distribution Grid Power Consumption
 Overview of the Existing Power Grid (contd.)
Control/Operations Centers

SGCN Communications Layer

Generation Transmission Distribution Customer Premises

Power Field Field Field

Meter Loads
Plant Devices Devices Devices

Microgrid

Smart
Substation Substation Meter Customer

Non-renewable Enegy Electric Vehicle

Microgrid
Wind Enegy Solar Enegy 13
Power Generation Power Transmission Grid Power Distribution Grid Power Consumption
 Smart Grid Communication Network
• The key to achieving these potential benefits of the Smart Grid
is to successfully build up Smart Grid Communication Networks
(SGCN)
• SGCN consists of three tier networks:
– Home Area Network (HAN)
– Neighbor Area Network (NAN) • WAN (distribution) Miles
– Wide Area Network (WAN) • NAN (metering)  Meters
• HAN (consumer)  Feets

Source: www.trilliantinc.com 14
 Smart Grid Communication
Network (contd.)
Motivation
• If human can talk why not machines (M2M)?

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 15

 Smart Grid Communication
Infrastructure

Layer Architecture of Smart Grid

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Wired Backhaul Station
SGCN Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)

PLC/Fiber/VSAT PLC PLC

Microgrid
Smart
Substation Substation
Power System Meter Customer
Layer Non-renewable Enegy Electric Vehicle

Microgrid
Wind Enegy Solar Enegy
Power Generation Power Transmission Grid Power Distribution Grid Power Consumption 16
 End-to-End Communications, Intelligence, and Security
The Smart Grid – Connectivity with Security
Generation Transmission Distribution Customers

AMI DSM

System Conservation
Operators Authorities

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
SGCN Wired Backhaul Station
Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)
Source: Cyber Security for the Smart Grid TM
 Smart Grid Communication
Infrastructure (contd.)
Central Generating Step-Up
Station To maintain power system reliability, need to manage both the
Transformer

power system and its supporting Information Infrastructure

Distribution Receiving Distribution
Gas Cogeneration
Substation Turbine Station Substation
Turbine Operators,
Distribution Planners & Engineers
Micro-
turbine Substation

Diesel
2. Communications and Information
Fuel
Infrastructure
Commercial
Engine cell

Cogeneration
Control Storage
Center Wind Power

Industrial Commercial
Residential

Photovoltaic systems
 Electric Utility Communications Architecture

Control/Operations Centers 3rd Party

Services
Communications Networks Distribution
Access
Regional Wide Area Backhaul/WAN Point
Interconnection Network Public
Networks
SGCN Field Neighborhood
Area Area Network
Network

Workforce
Mobile Home Area
Network Network

Power Energy
Management
Plant System

Field Field Field Field Consumer

Grid Smart
Electric
Energy Devices Devices Devices Devices Meter Products
Resources

Generation Transmission Distribution Customer Premises

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 19

 Home Area Networks (HAN)
• Home Area Networks (HAN) is limited to customer premises
• Used for Home and Building automation in Smart Grid
• HAN technologies include
– WiFi, PLC (HomePlug), Zigbee, i.e., Smart Energy 2.0 (a standard
promoted by ZigBee, to work on Wi-Fi)

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Communication Wired Backhaul Station
Layer Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)
PLC PLC PLC

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3

 Neighbor Area Network (NAN)
• The most critical segment that connects utilities and customers in order to
enable primarily important Smart Grid applications
• Gathers a bulk of data and distributes important control signals from hundreds
of field devices (smart meters etc.)
• Technologies includes PLC, Zigbee, WiFi, cellular networks , etc.

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Communication Wired Backhaul Station
Layer Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)

PLC PLC PLC

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 21

 Wide Area Network (WAN)
• Wide Area Network (WAN) is used for distribution automation and in the
backbone of the Smart Grid

• Candidate WAN technologies can be cellular networks, 3G, LTE, Wimax , VSAT,
and Fiber etc

• Whether or not public networks are sufficient for its own WAN infrastructure?

• For a growing number of utilities, the answer is “No.”

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Communication Wired Backhaul Station
Layer Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)
PLC/Fiber/ PLC/Fiber PLC
VSAT

Source: www.trilliantinc.com 22
 Communication Technologies

• Communication Technologies for the Smart Grid are divided

into two broad categories
Part 1. Wireless Technologies
Part 2. Wired Technologies

23
Part 1
Wireless Technologies for Smart Grid
 Why Wireless Technologies?
• Reduced installation, reconfiguration
and maintenance costs

• Easy access to machines for diagnostic or

programming purposes

• Improved coverage of the power

system infrastructure

• Eliminates adverse effects due to

damage of cabling

• Desire to save on cabling

• Globally accepted standards leading to

mass production and reduced prices

25
 Wireless Technologies for Smart Grid (contd.)
Technology Advantage Disadvantage SG Application
Very low cost - inexpensive consumer devices; Very short range; Does not penetrate structures HANs for energy
Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4, Low power consumption - years of battery life; well; Low data rates; Developers must join management and
ZigBee Alliance) Self- organizing, secure, and reliable mesh ZigBee Alliance monitoring; Unlikely
Low-cost, low power, wireless network; Network can support a large number of to be used in NANs
mesh standard for wireless users; Smart energy profile for HANs is available
home area networks (WHANs)
or wireless personal area
networks (WPANs)
Low-cost chip sets - inexpensive consumer Does not penetrate cement buildings or Could be used for
Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) devices; Widespread use and expertise; Low- basements; Small coverage and short distances HANs,, and NANs
Indoor wireless local area cost application development; Stable and mature limit wide spread use; Security issues with
networks (WLANs), wireless standards multiple networks operating in same locations
mesh networks
Expensive infrastructure already widely Utility must rent the infrastructure from a cellular AMI Backhaul, Field
3G Cellular (UMTS, deployed, stable and mature; Well standardized; carrier for a monthly access fee; Utility does not Area Network
CDMA2000, EV-DO, EDGE) Equipment prices keep dropping; Readily own infrastructure; Technology is in the (FAN) or Wide Area
Wide-area wireless networks available expertise in deployments; Cellular transition phase to LTE deployment; Public Network (WAN)
for voice, video, and data chipset very inexpensive; Large selection of cellular networks not sufficiently stable/secure
services in a mobile vendors and service providers for mission critical/utility applications; Not well-
environment suited for large data/high bandwidth applications

Low latency, high capacity; Fully integrated with Utility must rent the infrastructure from a cellular AMI Backhaul,
LTE 3GGP, compatible with earlier 3GPP releases; carrier for a monthly access fee; Utility does not SCADA Backhaul,
Enhancements to 3G Universal Full mobility for enhanced multimedia services; own infrastructure; Not readily available in many Demand Response,
Mobile Telecommunications Carrier preferred protocol; Low power markets/still in testing phases in others; WAN, Video
System (UMTS) mobile consumption Equipment cost high; Vendor differentiation still Surveillance
networking, providing for unclear; Lack of expertise in designing LTE
enhanced multimedia services networks; Utilities’ access to spectrum

WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) Efficient backhaul of data – aggregating 100’s Limited access to spectrum licenses in the US; AMI Backhaul,
Wireless metropolitan area access points; QoS supports service assurance; Trade off between higher bit rates over longer SCADA Backhaul,
network (MAN) providing high- Battery-backup improves reliability and security; distances; Asymmetrical up and down link Demand Response,
speed fixed/mobile Internet Simple, scalable network rollout and customer- speeds; User shared bandwidth; Competing WAN, Video
access premises equipment (CPE) attachment; Faster against future 4G cellular Surveillance
speeds than 3G cellular; Large variety of CPE
and gateway/ base station designs Source: Handbook on Green Information and Communication Systems
 Wired Technologies for Smart Grid (contd.)
Powerline communication (PLC)
Layer Architecture of Smart Grid (revision)

Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Communication Wired Backhaul Station
Layer Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)

PLC/Fiber/ PLC PLC

VSAT

Microgrid
Smart
Substation Substation
Power System Meter Customer
Layer Non-renewable Enegy Electric Vehicle

Microgrid
Wind Enegy Solar Enegy
Power Generation Power Transmission Grid Power Distribution Grid Power Consumption 27
 Power Line Communication (PLC)
Use existing electrical wires to transport data
• Terminal equipment used to send/receive data/voice
• Works on audio band width 20 to 20 KHz
• Carrier 30 KHz to 500 KHz
• High bit rates: Up to 200 Mb/s
Applications:
• Broadband Internet access
• Indoor wired local area networks
• Utility metering and control
• Real-time pricing
• Distributed energy generation

28 Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3

 Power Line Communications
Advantage:
• Communication signals travels on the same wires that carry electricity
• No “Wall Effect”
• Easy availability
• Cost effective
• Ease of operation & maintenance
Disadvantage:
• Victim of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) since power line cables are often
unshielded
• Prone to Noise & Interference
• Effect of weather conditions-frost, high pollution etc
• Depends on physical connectivity of power lines
• Needs government approval for carrier freq selection
• Practicality: Water/gas meters are powered by batteries without power lines

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 29

Electric Utility Communications Architecture

Control/Operations Centers 3rd Party

Services
Communications Networks Distribution
Access Point
Regional Wide Area Backhaul/WAN
Interconnection Network Public
Networks
Field Neighborhood
Area Area Network
Network

Workforce
Mobile Home Area
Network Network

Power Energy
Management
Plant System

Field Field Field Field Consumer

Other Smart
Electric
Energy Devices Devices Devices Devices Meter Products
Resources

Generation Transmission Distribution Customer Premises

Potential application for PLC technology

30
 Which SGCN?
• What Communication Technology More
suitable for Smart Grid
• 3G
• LTE?
• WiMAX?
• PLC?
• Wireline?

Most deployments rely on multiple technologies to achieve a full

coverage cost
Dr. M. Tariq, effective
EE530 solutions
Smart Grid, Lecture 3 31
Which SGCN?

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 32

Which SGCN?

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 33

 Traffic and Required QoSs
Traffic Types Description Bandwidth Latency
Source: Handbook on Green Information and Communication Systems
AMI Networks
Meter Reads Meters report energy consumption (Ex: the 15-min interval reads are usually Up to 10kbps 2 to 10sec
transferred every 4 hours)
Demand Response (DR) Utilities to communicate with customer devices to allow customers to reduce Low 500ms ~ min
or shift their power use during peak demand periods
Connects and Disconnects Connects/disconnect customers to/from the grid Low A few 100ms,
a few minutes

Substation Networks
Synchrophasor The major primary measurement technologies deployed for Wide-Area A few 100kbps 20ms to
Situational Awareness (WASA) 200ms
Substation SCADA 4-sec interval polling by the master to all the intelligent electronic devices 10 to 30kbps 2 ~ 4sec
inside the substation
Inter-substation Emerging applications such as DER might warrant GOOSE communications -- 12ms ~ 20ms
Communications outside substation
Surveillance Video site surveillance A few Mbps A few sec

Distribution Network
Fault Location, Isolation and To control protection/restoration circuits 10 to 30kbps A few 100ms
Restoration (FLIR)
Optimization volt/var optimization and power quality optimization on distribution networks 2 ~ 5Mbps 25 ~ 100ms
Workforce Access Provides expert video, voice access to field workers 250kbps 150ms
Asset Management For predictively and pro-actively gathering and analyzing non-operational data -- --
for potential asset failures

Microgid
Protection To response to faults, isolate them and ensure loads are not affected -- 100ms ~10sec

Operation Optimization Monitors and controls the operations of the whole MG in order to optimize the -- 100ms ~ min
 Current Risk of Attack through Smart Grid

• Attackers may use entry points physically unprotected.

• Wireless networks can be easily monitored by attackers.
• Wireless networks may be vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle
attacks.
• There may be weaknesses in preventing unauthorized
communication.
• Vulnerable appliances can be easily attacked and compromised to
attack other appliances or smart grids.
• Security risk grows as the deployment of smart grids grows .
• Due to existing vulnerabilities as discussed before.
Key Security Concepts Associated with Power
System Communication and Control
Infrastructure

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 36

 Key Security Concepts Associated with
Our Power System
• For power systems, keeping the lights on is the primary focus.

• Therefore the key security requirements are Availability and

Integrity, not Confidentiality (AIC, not CIA)

(Contrary to what SGCN required ….i.e. CIA)

• Security threats can be deliberate attacks or

inadvertent mistakes, failures, and natural disasters.

• The most dangerous “attacker” is a disgruntled employee

37
 Key Security Concepts Associated with
Our Power System (contd.)
• Security solutions must be end-to-end to avoid “man-in-the-
middle” attacks or failed equipment from causing denial of
service

• Security solutions must be layered

• Security will always be breached at some time

• Security measures must balance the cost of security against

the potential impact of a security breach

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 06 38

Overview of Cyber Security – Threats

Cyber
Penetration
Attacker Communications
Controls
Performs the Network
(WAN)
Head
Remote End
AMCC
Attacker Disconnect
(Advanced Metering
Control Computer) Communications
Network
(WAN) Retailers
3rd Parties

AMI WAN AMI WAN AMI WAN

Data Management
Systems
(MDM/R)

UNIVERSITY

Example from AMRA

Webinar, Nov ’06
“The Active Attacker”
Cyber Solutions
How to Secure SGCN?
 How to Secure SGCN?

• Some rules of thumb

– Security by obscurity
– Trust no one
– Layered security framework
– Efficient firewall
– Intrusion detection
– Self healing security system

41
 Types of security

Reactive vs proactive security

• Reactive
– Incident response plan
– Applied for general purpose computers more
• Proactive
– Security for embedded computers
– High assurance boot
– Secure software validation
– Secure association termination if found infected

1/30/2017 42
 Conclusions
• Smart Grid is the two way flow of information and electricity

• If human can talk why not machines

• Today’s SGCN are mix of modern and legacy

– vulnerabilities due to both lack of security design in legacy

and security issues in newer equipment

• No silver bullet to provide foolproof security to SGCN

• Smart Grid must be designed with strong security

• Use of layered security architecture and attack tree’s for

efficient security and risk assessment
 Wireless
Control Center Backhaul
Concentrator Smart
Base Home
Wired Backhaul Station
Smart Device
Network Meter
Data Aggregation
Point (DAP)
Wide Area Network (WAN) Neighbor Area Network (NAN) Home Area Network (HAN)
 Correct

Repair Header

Corrupt
Correct
Origin ID
Repair Header
Data Corrupt Correct
Sequence
State
Next Field Number Repair Header
Stubborn approach
Correct Corrupt
Packet
Type Length Forward to parent
Normal Processing Next Field

State Repair
Control Corrupt Failed

Corrupt Surrender
Drop
Drop

45
 Collection Tree: Forwarding Example

Normal
forwarding
Case 2: Attempt
Case 3: Initiate
stubborn to Correct
forwarding Header Errors
Case 1 : No
errors in
header

46
 Revisiting Collection Tree Protocol Header

P C
ull onges reserved T HL
ime as ived

tion

E T X xpected ransmission count

Corrupt reception of these fields in “some”

packets isOrigin
acceptable
Sequence no. Collection id

47
 Applications Benefitting from Multihop Packet Recovery

Periodic Data Active Event Extreme

Collection Detection Environments
 Goal: Maximize  Goal: Real time delivery  Burrows, underwater,
Network Lifetime of critical data and industrial settings
 Deployments report  Generate traffic bursts  Poor link qualities,
insufficient data only on event detection Scientists struggle in
collection and reduced  Delivering partially collecting data
network lifetime corrupt data in real  Utilize unreliable links
 Improve information time conveys and improve data
delivery rate and meaningful information delivery
reduce radio activity
48
QUESTIONS?

Dr. M. Tariq, EE530 Smart Grid, Lecture 3 49