A Methodology on Assessment of Cybersecurity Risk in Large-Scale Smart Grids

A smart grid (SG) is a new paradigm in power systems, which is a high value-added platform through real-time information sharing. However, SGs are exposed to cyber-attacks because of the structural characteristics. In a power system in which a real-time balance of supply and demand is essential, cyber-attacks directly lead to a power outage and cause a complex disaster leading to a secondary subordinate accident simultaneously. In this paper, the concept of cybersecurity risk is defined considering the structural characteristics of Large-Scale SGs and its evaluation method is proposed based on NERC CIP. The evaluation method quantifies the risk of information security by applying the related standards (SGSF-121-1-1) and analyzes the optimal power flow calculation, state of balanced power supply and demand and frequency stability to evaluate the robustness of large-scale intelligent power systems. This study may contribute toward finding the basis for optimal decision-making when establishing a cybersecurity contingency plan. © 2022 Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers. All rights reserved.