On Intrusion Detection in a Neighbourhood Area Network in the Smart Grid

Abstract

Smart grid, which is an upgrade of power electric system, mainly relies on powerful communication networks to provide a secure, reliable and efficient information delivery. Updating a system as complex as the electrical power grid with a large number of components has the potential of introducing new security vulnerabilities into the system. Hence, security mechanisms should be deployed to protect the smart grid as a first wall of defence against malicious attacks. As a second wall of defence, there should be intrusion detection systems in place to protect the smart grid against any security breaches. In this work, we describe an anomaly-based intrusion detection system (IDS) for neighbourhood area network whose security is of critical importance in smart grid.