Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

False Data Injection Attack Targeting the LTC Transformers to Disrupt Smart Grid Operation

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
International Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks (SecureComm 2014)

Abstract

Load Tap Changing (LTC) Transformers are widely used in a Power Distribution System to regulate the voltage level within standard operational limit. In a SCADA connected network, the performance of LTC transformers can be improved by utilizing a closed loop monitoring and control mechanism. The widely used SCADA communication protocols, including Modbus and DNP3, have been proven vulnerable under cyber attack. In this paper, we conduct a vulnerability analysis of LTC transformers under malicious modification of measurement data. Here, we define two different attack strategies, (i)attack targeting energy system efficiency, and (ii) attack targeting energy system stability. With theoretical background and simulation results, we demonstrate that the attack strategies can significantly affect the power distribution system operations in terms of energy efficiency and stability. The experiments are performed considering IEEE benchmark 123 node test distribution system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Roy, N.K., Pota, H.R., Anwar, A.: A new approach for wind and solar type DG placement in power distribution networks to enhance systems stability. In: 2012 IEEE International Power Engineering and Optimization Conference (PEOCO), Melaka, Malaysia, 6–7 June 2012, pp. 296–301 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Johansson, S., Sjogren, F.: Voltage collapse in power systems, Ph.D. thesis, Chalmers University of Technology (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dzafic, I., Jabr, R.A., Halilovic, E., Pal, B.C.: A sensitivity approach to model local voltage controllers in distribution networks. IEEE Trans. Power Syst. 29(3), 1419–1428 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Uluski, R.W.: VVC in the smart grid era. IEEE Power Energy Soc. Gen. Meet. 2010, 25–29 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Parthasarathy, S.; Kundur, D.: Bloom filter based intrusion detection for smart grid SCADA. In: 25th IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical & Computer Engineering (CCECE), pp. 1–6 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Queiroz, C., Mahmood, A., Tari, Z.: SCADASim - a framework for building SCADA simulations. IEEE Trans. Smart Grid 2(4), 589–597 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Fovino, I.N., Coletta, A., Carcano, A., Masera, M.: Critical state-based filtering system for securing SCADA network protocols. IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron. 59(10), 3943–3950 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang, Wenye, Zhuo, Lu: Cyber security in the smart grid: survey and challenges. Comput. Netw. 57, 1344–1371 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu, Y., Ning, P., Reiter, M.K.: False data injection attacks against state estimation in electric power grids. In: Proceedings of the 16th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pp. 21–32. ACM (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ozay, M., Esnaola, I., Vural, F., Kulkarni, S., Poor, H.: Sparse attack construction and state estimation in the smart grid: centralized and distributed models. IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun. 31, 1306–1318 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hug, G., Giampapa, J.: Vulnerability assessment of AC state estimation with respect to false data injection cyber-attacks. IEEE Trans. Smart Grid 3, 1362–1370 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Qin, Z., Li, Q., Chuah, M.-C.: Defending against unidentifiable attacks in electric power grids. IEEE Trans. Parallel Distrib. Syst. 24, 1961–1971 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Valenzuela, J., Wang, J., Bissinger, N.: Real-time intrusion detection in power system operations. IEEE Trans. Power Syst. 28, 1052–1062 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Mousavian, S., Valenzuela, J., Wang, J.: Real-time data reassurance in electrical power systems based on artificial neural networks. Electr. Power Syst. Res. 96, 285–295 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Grochocki, D.; Huh, J.H.; Berthier, R.; Bobba, R.; Sanders, W.H.; Cardenas, A.A.; Jetcheva, J.G.: AMI threats, intrusion detection requirements and deployment recommendations. In: IEEE Third International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 5–8 November 2012, pp. 395–400 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Xiao, Z., Xiao, Y., Du, D.H.: Exploring malicious meter inspection in neighborhood area smart grids. IEEE Trans. Smart Grid 4(1), 214–226 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lo, C.-H., Ansari, N.: CONSUMER: a novel hybrid intrusion detection system for distribution networks in smart grid. IEEE Trans. Emerg. Top. Comput. 1(1), 33–44 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Esfahani, P.M., Vrakopoulou, M., Margellos, K., Lygeros, J., Andersson, G.: A robust policy for automatic generation control cyber attack in two area power network. In: 49th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC) (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sridhar, S., Govindarasu, M.: Model-based attack detection and mitigation for automatic generation control. IEEE Trans. Smart Grid 5(2), 580–591 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Anwar, A.; Mahmood, A.: Cyber security of smart grid infrastructure. In: The State of the Art in Intrusion Prevention and Detection, CRC Press, USA, 2014, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, pp. 139–154

    Google Scholar 

  21. Anwar, A., Mahmood, A.: Vulnerabilities of smart grid state estimation against false data injection attack. In: Hossain, J., Mahmud, A. (eds.) Renewable Energy Integration. Green Energy and Technology, pp. 411–428. Springer, Singapore (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  22. Yorino, N., Sasaki, H., Masuda, Y., Tamura, Y., Kitagawa, M., Oshimo, A.: An investigation of voltage instability problems. IEEE Trans. Power Syst. 7, 600–611 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kundur, P., Paserba, J., Ajjarapu, V., Andersson, G., Bose, A., Canizares, C., Hatziargyriou, N., Hill, D., Stankovic, A., Taylor, C., Van Cutsem, T., Vittal, V.: Definition and classification of power system stability - IEEE/CIGRE joint task force on stability terms and definitions. IEEE Trans. Power Syst. 19, 1387–1401 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Distribution System Analysis Subcommittee Radial Test Feeders. http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pes/dsacom/testfeeders/index.html

  25. Kersting, W.: Distribution System Modeling and Analysis. CRC Press, Boca Raton (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Smart Grid Resource Center, Simulation Tool OpenDSS. http://www.smartgrid.epri.com/SimulationTool.aspx

  27. Liu, C.-C., Stefanov, A., Hong, J., Panciatici, P.: Intruders in the grid. IEEE Power Energy Mag. 10(1), 58–66 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Xie, Y., Yu, S.-Z.: A large-scale hidden semi-markov model for anomaly detection on user browsing behaviors. IEEE/ACM Trans. Netw. 17(1), 54–65 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Information Technology, UNSW Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia

    Adnan Anwar, Abdun Naser Mahmood & Mohiuddin Ahmed

Authors
  1. Adnan Anwar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Abdun Naser Mahmood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohiuddin Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adnan Anwar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. CAS, Institute of Information Engineering, Beijing, China

    Jin Tian

  2. Institute of Information Engineering, Beijing, China

    Jiwu Jing

  3. IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, New York, New York, USA

    Mudhakar Srivatsa

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

About this paper

Cite this paper

Anwar, A., Mahmood, A.N., Ahmed, M. (2015). False Data Injection Attack Targeting the LTC Transformers to Disrupt Smart Grid Operation. In: Tian, J., Jing, J., Srivatsa, M. (eds) International Conference on Security and Privacy in Communication Networks. SecureComm 2014. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 153. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23802-9_20

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23802-9_20

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23801-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23802-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation