CAREER: Cyber-security of Electric Power Systems: Theft and Systemic Failure

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

The physical infrastructure of the US electric grid is aging, over-burdened, and prone to failure. The drive to support the deep integration of variable renewable energy into the grid, without sacrificing reliability, will require a paradigm shift in how we produce, deliver, and consume energy. At the heart of this profound transformation is the rapid deployment of the Smart Grid, which integrates new embedded sensing, communication, and computing technologies to improve utilization of existing physical assets, operational efficiency, and reliability. However, with the increased reliance of grid operations on complex and actionable data flows, comes the substantial risk of cyber attacks on the physical system. By coordinating the manipulation of actionable data transfers from only a small number of remote sensing units (e.g. power meters, relay states, voltage sensors), a malicious adversary can mislead the system operator into taking corrective control actions with staggering economic and physical consequences. These include: (i) inefficient market outcomes based on sub-optimal dispatch of generation, (ii) manipulation of electricity market prices and financial instruments for profit gain, (iii) cascading failures in transmission networks, and (iv) physical damage to large generation and substation facilities. Broadly, the proposed research seeks to address the fundamental open research challenges associated with securing the electric power infrastructure and electricity markets against such malicious cyber attacks. The various mechanisms through which data integrity attacks can manipulate the behavior of cyber-physical systems such as the power grid are not yet well understood, and effective countermeasures remain undeveloped. By combining expertise at the intersection of power systems, estimation, optimization, and control theory, the proposed research aims to develop a mathematical framework and set of algorithmic tools that will serve as the foundation for a new information technology capable of (i) assessing the vulnerability of existing power grids, (ii) calculating the consequence of successful attacks, and (iii) developing effective countermeasures to thwart those attacks -- innovations that will serve to substantially enhance the security the United States' critical energy infrastructure. In addition to improving the security of the US electric grid, the proposed work will aim to have societal impact by addressing the urgent need to train the next generation of engineers to design, build, and manage the Smart Grid. The novel integration of the proposed research into senior course offerings will serve to create both awareness and excitement about the field; with the ultimate goal of stimulating increased adoption of careers in power and thus contributing to the attenuation of the current shortfall of well-trained engineers capable of managing our electricity grid.