IMPLEMENTATION AND PENETRATION TESTING OF IT SECURITY FUNCTIONS FOR SMART GRID CLUSTER CONTROLLERS

Abstract

In today's world, electricity is one of the essential aspects of daily life, especially with renewable energy technology. This work was done in the Department of Energy Supply under Prof. Dr.-Ing. Egon Ortjohann at Soest University of Applied Sciences, Germany. In this work, security functions were implemented using intelligent grid technology based on the Clustering Power System Approach (CPSA) in the Smart Grid Cluster Controller (SGCC) system. The security requirements in the field of power systems are very high due to the critical infrastructure. A smart grid is a modern power grid that uses information technology (IT). Security breaches have a threatening effect on the power grid infrastructure. The security aspect of modern networked systems is necessary to avoid threats. Recommendations about security features are based on the well-known BDEW White Paper and the 270xx series of standards for security recommendations in critical infrastructures in Germany. Some security configurations are carried out based on the security recommendations. Finally, penetration tests showed that several security vulnerabilities existed. As a result, some security adjustments were made. This work can serve as a basis for further development of the SGCC's security function.