Using Features of Cloud Computing to Defend Smart Grid against DDoS Attacks

Smart Grid (SG) poses operational and business challenges for energy suppliers and utility companies that are readily met by Cloud Computing (CC). Given the distributed nature of SG and CC it is inevitable that the two technologies will become integrated. In this paper we discuss the risks and opportunities that CC presents to energy suppliers and utility companies, and consider what inherent attributes of CC may be able to be leveraged to improve Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) defense for SG. An extended literature review is performed to determine which DDoS defense techniques can be enhanced by CC and utilized to defend the SG. We propose that, when risks are properly mitigated, the deployment of CC can be seen as an overall benefit, where its inherent attributes can be harnessed to make the SG more secure and help mitigate the threat of a crippling DDoS attack. Keywords—Smart Grid, Cloud Computing, DDoS, Cyber Security, DDoS Defense, Critical Infrastructure