Challenges in Cyber-Physical Attack Detection for Building Automation Systems

In recent years, the vulnerability of smart buildings to cyber-physical attacks has been drastically increasing. Due to enhanced device connectivity and increasing complexity of these systems, attacks are also becoming significantly more severe and can cause immense harm. This paper focuses on the challenges of implementing a physics-based attack detection scheme for HVAC systems in Building Automation Systems. Using a real-world HVAC system as a testbed, we apply a heat balance equation based model and non-parametric CUSUM statistic to detect false data injection attacks. The results highlight HVAC-specific challenges, pitfalls, and potential solutions, contributing valuable insights for future practical implementations in smart building security.