Journal of Modeling in Engineering

Journal of Modeling in Engineering

Cyber-Attacks Modelling and Detection in a Novel Overcurrent Protection Relays Based on logical Analysis of Grid Signal

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mohammad Yousefikia
Mohsen Saniei
Seyyed Ghodratollah Seifossadat
Alireza Saffarian
Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
10.22075/jme.2024.34315.2678
Abstract
Cyber attacks on protective relays lead to power grid outages. Any manipulation of the output and input signals of the relays and their settings is considered a cyber attack. So far, there has been various research on the detection of cyber attacks, but the access of a comprehensive method that uses signals in the network to detect and classify attacks with the least amount of computing time is an essential requirement of the power grid. In this article, a novel model of overcurrent relays based on two parameters, pick-up current and monitoring current, is proposed, and then three types of common attacks include Denial of service, injecting false data in measurement values, changing the setting values of the relay is implemented in the Matlab/Simulink software on a nine-bus and three machines IEEE standard network. The results show that the proposed detection method based on logical relationships between pick-up current, monitoring current, positive and negative sequence of voltage and current and the command sent from the relay to the circuit breakers provides an acceptable performance with high accuracy and without false trigger by detection time of 17 ms in simulation. This method is superior to other detection techniques because it does not depend on the operating point, relay protection scheme and type of cyber attack. The proposed logic could discriminate between symmetric and asymmetric faults and single and multiple cyber attacks. To achieve this goal, it only needs more signals from different buses and relays.
Keywords
Cyber attack
Modelling
Overcurrent relay
Grid signals
Logical analysis
Subjects
  1. T. Tesfay. "Cybersecurity solutions for active power distribution networks." PhD diss., EPFL, 2017.
  2. Huseinović, S. Mrdović, K. Bicakci, and S. Uludag. "A survey of denial-of-service attacks and solutions in the smart grid." IEEE Access8 (2020): 177447-177470.
  3. Wang, D. Liang, L. Ge, and X. Wang. "Analytical FRTU deployment approach for reliability improvement of integrated cyber‐physical distribution systems." IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution10, no. 11 (2016): 2631-2639.
  4. K. Hasan, A.A. Habib, Z. Shukur, F. Ibrahim, S. Islam, and M.A. Razzaque. "Review on cyber-physical and cyber-security system in smart grid: Standards, protocols, constraints, and recommendations." Journal of Network and Computer Applications209 (2023): 103540.
  5. He, and J. Yan. "Cyber‐physical attacks and defences in the smart grid: a survey." IET Cyber‐Physical Systems: Theory & Applications1, no. 1 (2016): 13-27.
  6. P. Santos, F. Charrua-Santos, and T.M. Lima. "Industry 4.0: an overview." In Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering, vol. 2, pp. 4-6. IAEN, London, UK, 2018.
  7. Delgado-Gomes, J.F. Martins, C. Lima, and P.N. Borza. "Smart grid security issues." In 2015 9th International Conference on Compatibility and Power Electronics (CPE), pp. 534-538. IEEE, 2015.
  8. B. Rawat, and C. Bajracharya. "Cyber security for smart grid systems: Status, challenges and perspectives." SoutheastCon 2015(2015): 1-6.
  9. Shapsough, F. Qatan, R. Aburukba, F. Aloul, and A.R. Al Ali. "Smart grid cyber security: Challenges and solutions." In 2015 International Conference on Smart Grid and Clean Energy Technologies (ICSGCE), pp. 170-175. IEEE, 2015.
  10. A. Al-Garadi, A. Mohamed, A.K. Al-Ali, X. Du, I. Ali, and M. Guizani. "A survey of machine and deep learning methods for internet of things (IoT) security." IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials22, no. 3 (2020): 1646-1685.
  11. Zhang, B. Liu, and H. Wu. "Smart grid cyber-physical attack and defense: A review." IEEE Access9 (2021): 29641-29659.
  12. Krause, R. Ernst, B. Klaer, I. Hacker, and M. Henze. "Cybersecurity in power grids: Challenges and opportunities." Sensors21, no. 18 (2021): 6225.
  13. Boeding, K. Boswell, M. Hempel, H. Sharif, J. Lopez Jr, and K. Perumalla. "Survey of Cybersecurity Governance, Threats, and Countermeasures for the Power Grid." Energies15, no. 22 (2022): 8692.
  14. Ö. Aslan, S.S. Aktuğ, M. Ozkan-Okay, A.A. Yilmaz, and E. Akin. "A Comprehensive Review of Cyber Security Vulnerabilities, Threats, Attacks, and Solutions." Electronics12, no. 6 (2023): 1333
  15. K. Premaratne, J. Samarabandu, T.S. Sidhu, R. Beresh, and J.C. Tan. "An intrusion detection system for IEC61850 automated substations." IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery25, no. 4 (2010): 2376-2383.
  16. Jin, D.M. Nicol, and G. Yan. "An event buffer flooding attack in DNP3 controlled SCADA systems." In Proceedings of the 2011 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC), pp. 2614-2626. IEEE, 2011.
  17. Liang, S.R. Weller, J. Zhao, F. Luo, and Z.Y. Dong. "The 2015 Ukraine blackout: Implications for false data injection attacks." IEEE Transactions on Power Systems32, no. 4 (2016): 3317-3318.
  18. Li, X. Wei, Y. Li, Z. Dong, and M. Shahidehpour. "Detection of false data injection attacks in smart grid: A secure federated deep learning approach." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid13, no. 6 (2022): 4862-4872.
  19. Li, and Y. Wang. "False data injection attacks with incomplete network topology information in smart grid." IEEE Access7 (2018): 3656-3664.
  20. Bi, and Y.J. Zhang. "Graphical methods for defense against false-data injection attacks on power system state estimation." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid5, no. 3 (2014): 1216-1227.
  21. AEMO: "Australian energy sector cyber security framework education workshop.", October (2018)
  22. Vladimir. Cyber and electromagnetic threats in modern relay protection. Crc Press, 2014.
  23. Deng, G. Xiao, and R. Lu. "Defending against false data injection attacks on power system state estimation." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics13, no. 1 (2015): 198-207.
  24. Wang, W. Tai, Y. Tang, and M. Ni. "Review of the false data injection attack against the cyber‐physical power system." IET Cyber‐Physical Systems: Theory & Applications4, no. 2 (2019): 101-107.
  25. Kim, and L. Tong. "On topology attack of a smart grid: Undetectable attacks and countermeasures." IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications31, no. 7 (2013): 1294-1305.
  26. H. Choi, and L. Xie. "Economic impact assessment of topology data attacks with virtual bids." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid9, no. 2 (2016): 512-520.
  27. Ameli, A. Hooshyar, and E.F. El-Saadany. "Development of a cyber-resilient line current differential relay." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics15, no. 1 (2018): 305-318.
  28. Liang, S.R. Weller, J. Zhao, F. Luo, and Z.Y. Dong. "A framework for cyber-topology attacks: Line-switching and new attack scenarios." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid10, no. 2 (2017): 1704-1712.
  29. Hong, R.F. Nuqui, A. Kondabathini, D. Ishchenko, and A. Martin. "Cyber attack resilient distance protection and circuit breaker control for digital substations." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics15, no. 7 (2018): 4332-4341.
  30. Johnson, J. Quiroz, R. Concepcion, F. Wilches‐Bernal, and M.J. Reno. "Power system effects and mitigation recommendations for DER cyberattacks." IET Cyber‐Physical Systems: Theory & Applications4, no. 3 (2019): 240-249.
  31. W. Ten, K. Yamashita, Z. Yang, A.V. Vasilakos, and A. Ginter. "Impact assessment of hypothesized cyberattacks on interconnected bulk power systems." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid9, no. 5 (2017): 4405-4425.
  32. Liu, M. Shahidehpour, Z. Li, X. Liu, Y. Cao, and Z. Li. "Power system risk assessment in cyber attacks considering the role of protection systems." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid8, no. 2 (2016): 572-580.
  33. R. Amin, S. Taghizadeh, M.S. Rahman, M.J. Hossain, V. Varadharajan, and Z. Chen. "Cyber attacks in smart grid–dynamic impacts, analyses and recommendations." IET Cyber‐Physical Systems: Theory & Applications5, no. 4 (2020): 321-329.
  34. M. Khaw, A.A. Jahromi, M.F. Arani, S. Sanner, D. Kundur, and M. Kassouf. "A deep learning-based cyberattack detection system for transmission protective relays." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid12, no. 3 (2020): 2554-2565.
  35. S. Rahman, M.A. Mahmud, A.M. Than Oo, and H.R. Pota. "Multi-agent approach for enhancing security of protection schemes in cyber-physical energy systems." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics13, no. 2 (2016): 436-447.
  36. Mohamed, and M.M. Salama. "Data mining-based cyber-physical attack detection tool for attack-resilient adaptive protective relays." Energies15, no. 12 (2022): 4328.
  37. A. Jahromi, A. Kemmeugne, D. Kundur, and A. Haddadi. "Cyber-physical attacks targeting communication-assisted protection schemes." IEEE Transactions on Power Systems35, no. 1 (2019): 440-450.
  38. Liang, S.R. Weller, J. Zhao, F. Luo, and Z.Y. Dong. "A framework for cyber-topology attacks: Line-switching and new attack scenarios." IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid10, no. 2 (2017): 1704-1712.
  39. NERC: ‘Misoperations report’. Protection System Misoperations Task Force-NERC Planning Committee, 2013
  40. W. Sauer, and M.A. Pai. "Power System Dynamics and Stability, Prentice-Hall." New Jersey(1998).
  41. Rebizant, J. Szafran, and A. Wiszniewski. "Digital signal processing in power system protection and control." (2011): 978-0.
  42. Yousefi kia, M. Saniei, and S.G. Seifossadat. "A novel cyber‐attack modelling and detection in overcurrent protection relays based on wavelet signature analysis." IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution17, no. 7 (2023): 1585-1600.
Journal of Modeling in Engineering
Volume 23, Special Issue 81
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Semnan University
July 2025
Pages 265-284

  • Receive Date 01 June 2024
  • Revise Date 24 August 2024
  • Accept Date 28 August 2024