Simulations on Resilience and Malware Containment in Smart Grid Communication Architectures

Smart grids utilize Information & Communication Technology (ICT) to increase efficiency and reliability, by managing dynamics in power grids. However, ICT opens additional vulnerabilities affecting critical infrastructures, by increasing their attack surface. According to Igure et al. [1] legacy control systems experience an increasing number of attacks, as they were developed for good performance and with emphasis on features that meet network constraints, without security concerns. They argue that almost 70% of the current incidents are attacks originating from outside the network. Smart grids must be designed with security features in mind. Systemic resilience in critical infrastructures is of key importance. It therefore must include attacks, aside from technical failure.