SCADA controlled Smart Grid Model for cybersecurity testing

Vulnerabilities to SCADA systems are numerous; Cyber attacks, malicious privileged insiders, operator error, equipment failure. In order to protect data, insure reliable operation, and ultimately protect human life, these systems need a high degree of defense against multiple threat vectors. When a SCADA system is being designed and deployed, security and reliability need to be the primary concerns. Any of the possible threat vectors can cause equipment damage, incur economic losses, or even loss of life.

We are working on designing an experiment that can be connected to a  SCADA system. This experiment will be a small scale model of a Smart Grid network including smart appliances and such . The experiment will be designed using components from various manufacturers. These smart components include: smart meters, home gateways, home displays and   intelligent thermometers. All of the devices are X-Bee^® enabled and will relay information to the central gateway and display.  The goal is to make this scale model experiment compatible with the exiting SCADA test bed.  Attacks can then be launched on the SCADA system in order to compromise the smart grid model.

Project Goals

-Working scale model of a smart grid system .

- Interface model  with existing SCADA testbed.

-Perform attacks on SCADA that will compromise the smart grid model .

Figure 1: SCADA Testbed with SmartGrid Experiment

New SCADA system has been implemented, but has not active process control beyond monitoring the state of inputs and driving the outputs of several PLCs.  The goal is to interface the smart grid model and make it the active process control.

- Samuel Delacruz

- Shailendra Simkhada