Reference Architecture as Foundation for Risk and Threat Analysis

The project “Reference Architecture for Secure Smart Grids Austria” (RASSA) is developing a foundation for secure, interoperable architecture components dedicated for future smart grids in Austria. A key feature of this blueprint is its tool supported model driven design approach, enabling users to estimate the risk of components introduced into the models as a decision base for a deeper threat analysis. The design of this architecture is carried out in close coordination with all relevant stakeholders from Austria through an established stakeholder process supported by “Technologieplattform Smart Grids Austria” (TPSGA). During the RASSA-architecture project, parts of the reference architecture will be instantiated to validate relevant smart grid components. This paper shows the progress of this undertaking and illustrates the potential of integrating reactive and active security attributes within a reference architecture.