This SpringerBrief addresses the main security concerns for smart grid,
e.g., the privacy of electricity consumers, the exchanged messages
integrity and confidentiality, the authenticity of participated parties,
and the false data injection attacks. Moreover, the authors demonstrate
in detail the various proposed techniques to secure the smart grid's
different communication networks and preserve the privacy of the
involved.
Over many years, power grid has generated electricity from central
generators and distributed it in one direction from the generation
stations to end-users; also, information is one directional so that the
grid's control center doesn't get enough information about customers'
requirements and consequently can't prevent electricity losses. So, the
electricity grid is merged with information and communication technology
to form smart grid. The main target of this incorporation is to connect
different parties of power grid to exchange information about grid
conditions and customers' requirements, and consequently, improve the
reliability and efficiency of electricity generation and distribution.
That upgrade of the power grid exposes it to the cyber security threats
that the communication networks suffer from, such as malicious attacks
to forge the electricity consumption readings or price, extract personal
information for residential consumers, such as daily habits and life
style, or attack some grid's resources and equipment availability using
denial-of-service attacks. Also, novel threats are introduced in smart
grid due to the power grid nature, such as false data injection attack,
in which the adversary compromises several measurement units and injects
false information about the grid conditions that mislead the grid's
control center to make wrong decisions for the grid and consequently
impact on its stability and efficiency.
