Methodology for P&C cyber security studies using real-time digital simulation

With the smart grid development, advancements in deeply integrated information and communication technology (ICT) provide enhanced system awareness, effective decision-making support and high-performance protection and control (P&C) to improve operational reliably and stability of the modern power systems. To manage the risks relevant to the existing industrial P&C systems, it is of high necessity to develop a methodology of cyber security testing for industrial P&C systems. This methodology will be rolled out to continue to evaluate the risks for the next-generation industrial P&C systems when new ICTs are introduced e.g. IEC 61850. This study summarises the main purpose, scope of work of an innovation project in collaboration with National Grid. This on-going project is to develop such a methodology using the state-of-art real-time digital simulation to conduct hardware-in-the-loop testing.