Software-based testbed for security evaluation of PMU and PDC communications
Abstract
Monitoring the smart grid is vital to the function of keeping the grid stable. Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are deployed throughout grids across the world due to the device’s ability to collect vast amounts of data at high speed. PMUs pass this data onto the phasor data concentrator, which collates and analyses the data. These devices are connected to a network for communication via plain-text protocol, IEEE C37.118; increasing the devices’ vulnerability to cyber attacks. Existing work has built testbeds to investigate the impacts of attacks and mitigations. Some literature investigated testbeds for other reasons, leaving security-based ones rare. The few existing cyber security testbeds are difficult to construct, leaving prevalent attacks unexplored in recent literature, notably, False Data Injection (FDI) and Time Synchronisation Attacks (TSAs). Understanding these attacks is pertinent for PMU communications as the impact can result in grid failures. This paper creates a software-based testbed for discovering the impact of these highly relevant cyber attacks. The testbed was required to be cost-effective, replicable, and use IEEE C37.118 standard for communications. The research finds the impact of the FDI and TSA could be detrimental to the health of the grid and countermeasures should be studied in future research.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2025
Publication Title
Journal of Cyber Security Technology
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Science
Funders
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Griffiths, T., Ahmed, M., & Islam, C. (2025). Software-based testbed for security evaluation of PMU and PDC communications. Journal of Cyber Security Technology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/23742917.2025.2605987