Göran Ericsson

Information Security for Electric Power Utilities (EPUs)—CIGRÉ Developments on Frameworks, Risk Assessment, and Technology

This paper deals with the important issue of proper treatment of information security for electric power utilities. It is based on the efforts of CIGRE Working Group (WG) D2.22 on ldquoTreatment of Information Security for Electric Power Utilities (EPUs)rdquo carried out between 2006 and 2008/2009. The WG produces a Technical Brochure (TB), where the purpose is to emphasize three main issues: security frameworks, risk assessment, and security technology. Here, guidance is given on different security frameworks based on an information security domain model. Also, baseline controls are treated. For risk assessment, a survey has been carried out. Only few commonalities, but several differences, have been found. Here, a methodology must be developed together with practical recommendations. For security technologies, guidance is given for deployment of different solutions, based on a logical diagram using different controls. Last, proposal on further work is given.

On requirements specifications for a power system communications system

This paper elucidates and discusses some aspects of requirements specifications of a power system communication system. The results are based on applied research and procurement work in both academia and industry. Requirements regarding functionality, availability, and classification are treated mainly from a customers viewpoint. Specification of unavailability instead of availability is proposed. Two concepts of classification and ranking of requirements are aggregated into one method of work. The need for a structured method of work is emphasized. The importance of information security and resilience to intrusion is stressed.

Communication requirements - basis for investment in a utility wide-area network

This paper addresses the various requirements forming the basis for investing in a utility wide-area network (WAN). One single requirement cannot itself motivate the total cost of a WAN, whereas the requirements altogether could do that. The paper is based on experiences from Svenska Kraftna/spl uml/t (Swedish National Grid). The presentation aims to be comprehensive, and it should provide support when a utility WAN is to be planned. The contribution of the paper is to provide engineering perspectives on the requirements, rather than a pure theoretical view.

Using phishing experiments and scenario-based surveys to understand security behaviours in practice

Purpose – The purpose of the study was threefold: to understand security behaviours in practice by investigating factors that may cause an individual to comply with a request posed by a perpetrator; to investigate if adding information about the victim to an attack increases the probability of the attack being successful; and, finally, to investigate if there is a correlation between self-reported and observed behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – Factors for investigation were identified based on a review of existing literature. Data were collected through a scenario-based survey, phishing experiments, journals and follow-up interviews in three organisations. Findings – The results from the experiment revealed that the degree of target information in an attack increased the likelihood that an organisational employee falls victim to an actual attack. Further, an individual’s trust and risk behaviour significantly affected the actual behaviour during the phishing experiment. Computer experience at work,...

Design Requirements of Wide-Area Damping Systems—Using Empirical Data From a Utility IP Network

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) communication delays and data frame losses play a critical role in designing of wide-area damping systems driven by synchrophasor technology. While there are a plethora of simulation-based studies addressing this issue, empirical results from actual PMUs deployed in the field are rare. This paper provides important insights into the characterization of PMU communication delays and data frame losses based on empirical results collected from a utility IP network. Additionally, efforts are also made to elicit design requirements considering the above PMU data quality problems. Furthermore, three distinct delay-robust wide-area damping control schemes parameterized according to the proposed requirements are validated against the empirical delays and data frame losses. Time-domain simulation results suggest that the control schemes in question can effectively stabilize the power system in all of the tested scenarios.

Cyber security for a Smart Grid - What about phishing?

Lack of awareness for cyber security threats is an important topic to address for the future smart grid. A particularly troubling issue is social engineering by email, or as it is more commonly depicted, phishing. This study analyzes important aspects of phishing using two unannounced experiments. The results show that applying more context specific information to an attack is not necessarily effective; users still get deceived but nobody reports of the occurrence of phishing. From an enterprise perspective, a phishing exercise rouse discussions on security awareness without significantly agitating participants.

A Framework for Wide-Area Monitoring and Control Systems Interoperability and Cybersecurity Analysis

Wide-area monitoring and control (WAMC) systems are the next-generation operational-management systems for electric power systems. The main purpose of such systems is to provide high resolution real-time situational awareness in order to improve the operation of the power system by detecting and responding to fast evolving phenomenon in power systems. From an information and communication technology (ICT) perspective, the nonfunctional qualities of these systems are increasingly becoming important and there is a need to evaluate and analyze the factors that impact these nonfunctional qualities. Enterprise architecture methods, which capture properties of ICT systems in architecture models and use these models as a basis for analysis and decision making, are a promising approach to meet these challenges. This paper presents a quantitative architecture analysis method for the study of WAMC ICT architectures focusing primarily on the interoperability and cybersecurity aspects.

An Empirical Study of Synchrophasor Communication Delay in a Utility TCP/IP Network

Abstract Although there is a plethora of literature dealing with Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) communication delay, there has not been any effort made to generalize empirical delay results by identifying the distribution with the best fit. The existing studies typically assume a distribution or simply build on analogies to communication network routing delay. Specifically, this study provides insight into the characterization of the communication delay of both unprocessed PMU data and synchrophasors sorted by a Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC). The results suggest that a bi-modal distribution containing two normal distributions offers the best fit of the delay of the unprocessed data, whereas the delay profile of the sorted synchrophasors resembles a normal distribution based on these results, the possibility of evaluating the reliability of a synchrophasor application with respect to a particular choice of PDC timeout is discussed.

A broadband wide-area network as an enabler of improved power system maintenance

Wide-area networks (WANs) are being deployed worldwide at power utilities. By replacing vintage narrowband solutions, broadband communications can now be used for an entire utility enterprise. One new possibility that has opened up is to improve power system maintenance. During the last ten years, the benefits of adequate asset management have become increasingly clear in the power industry due to the economic pressures and aging infrastructure. An apparent tool to improve the asset-management strategies is the implementation of information technology systems that support the operational processes. The impact of these systems can be further enhanced by efficient communications, allowing the proliferation of functionality and data access. This paper describes the initial stages in analyzing the combined effects of enhanced communication and maintenance requirements. It provides a useful maintenance categorization, based on empirical data. Also, areas of improvement for power system maintenance are elucidated together with the benefit of enhanced communications.

Modeling of power system communications-recognition of technology maturity levels and case study of a migration scenario

This paper describes a concept for modeling power system communication systems. The model emphasizes the external views of a communication system, where two views are identified. The information view illustrates the access part and the semantic capabilities at the interface of a communication system. The transport view illustrates the backbone and the introduction of more concurrent capabilities. In each of the views, the model classifies technology maturity levels in a few discrete steps. The approach has been successfully applied to describe a migration scenario in the information view, where higher levels of data abstractions are introduced to make power system communication and operation more effective. The modeling concept provides support, complementary to the traditional open systems interconnection (OSI) model, for gaining a holistic understanding of whether or not it is feasible to upgrade a power system control system with new communication technology.