When hackers target power infrastructures, they usually focus on the mechanisms that control it so they can cause power outages, blackouts, and economic losses. To improve the system’s security and reliability, it’s crucial to first understand its vulnerabilities, which are both physical and intangible.
Lead author of the new study that focuses on the physical and cyber security of the power grids, Chee-Wooi Ten, explains that ten years ago, cybersecurity didn’t even exist. Now, without strong and reliable cybersecurity, hackers can cause large power outages and blackouts.
For this reason, Ten believes that the solution to the problem involves both physical equipment and intangible software.
To assess system’s vulnerabilities, Ten and his team use a framework that constantly assesses the bottleneck of a power grid as well as its interconnection with their neighboring grids. “You know your health is at risk because we monitor systolic and diastolic numbers, so perhaps you work out more or eat healthier,” says Ten. “The grid needs established metrics for health too, a number to gauge if we are ready for this security challenge.”
Essentially, Ten explains that improving regulations with specifics to match actual infrastructure needs along with providing cybersecurity insurance is the best way to protect power grids from hackers.
Reference:
Michigan Technological University(http://www.mtu.edu/news/stories/2017/february/protecting-bulk-power-systems-hackers.html)
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