Data Security in Smart Grid

This research focuses on data security issues in smart grid technology, including the background, challenges, and potential solutions. It explores the impact of data security issues and recommends strategies for mitigating them. The research methodology includes quantitative data analysis using primary sources. The study aims to identify data security issues, analyze their impact, and propose solutions for smart grid technology.

Running head: DATA SECURITY IN SMART GRID
Data Security in Smart Grid
Name of the Student
Name of the University

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DATA SECURITY IN SMART GRID
Abstract
This research has been focused on data security in Smart grid technology. Smart grid technology
has been helping in expanding electrical power quality. The background of data security issues
and challenges have been described in research. The aim of the research has been focused on the
data security issues in the smart grid technology. The literature review has been done using
existing literatures in the data security in smart grid. The research has used quantitative method
in methodology. Data has been collected from primary sources including survey. Data has been
analysed using quantitative data analysis method. Regression analysis has been done in order to
analyses data and information gathered from primary data collection method.

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background of the research
There has been increase in demand of power for fulfilling industrial requirements and
shortage in generating power. The shortage of power has been generating several issues related
with machinery issues in industries. Therefore, Smart grid has been a modernized electric grid
that utilizes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for enabling several applications
aiming at reducing energy consumption and losses (Li et al. 2018). The traditional supply of
electricity has been causing several losses of electricity during transmission to long distances.
Sensors and smart devices have been helping in minimizing the transmission loss of electricity.
Smart grids have been providing several benefits to the transmission and distribution of
electricity. The use if smart grids have been enhanced in the industries. However, there have
been various limitations and changes in the smart grid networks. An electricity grid has not been
a single entity. It contains a series of multiple networks and multiple power generation systems.
Smart grid technologies have been emerging in the market for increasing production of
electricity power supply. There have been new technologies that have been maintaining a keen
approach in developing electric industry in the market. The primary agenda of smart grid system
have been minimizing loss of power in electricity. Smart grid system has been providing smart
approach to enhance decision making systems in stable mode (Tan et al. 2017). The smart grid
technology has helped in increasing security, efficiency and exchange of information. The
adoption of smart grids have been dramatically changing traditional energy services and markets
undergoing proper transformation. The smart grid has been helping in providing smarter
networks in many energy sources. There have been data security issues in the smart grid systems
that have been causing huge loss in the systems. Data security issues have been identified in

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smart grid system due to intervention of malware in the smart grid systems. The concept of smart
grid has been digital upgrade of distribution and long distance transmission grids for optimizing
recent operations by reducing losses (Esmalifalak et al. 2017).
1.2 Problem Statement
The major problem discussed in research has been the data security in smart grid system.
Data is an important asset of a system. Therefore, hackers have been targeting data in Smart grid
systems. Customer data has been under threat of cyber-attacks. Smart grid systems have been
facing security vulnerabilities in the architectures. Therefore, this research has been focused in
identifying the issues faced by smart grid systems.
1.3 Aim, objective and research questions
The aim of the research has been focused on identifying the data security issues in smart grid.
Following is list of objectives:
 To identify data security issues in smart grid technology
 To analyze the impact of these issues in smart grid technology
 To recommend strategies for mitigating data security issues in the smart grid technology
Following is list of research questions:
 What are data security issues in the smart grid technology?
 What is the impact of these issues in smart grid technology?
 How these data security issues in the smart grid technology can be mitigated?

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Literature review
The power system that has been used by most of the companies have been maintaining
traditional approach in supplying electricity to customers. There have been increase in the
demand of power supply systems and blackouts in the market. The recent of the power systems
have been facing issues related to voltage sags, overloads and blackouts. These issues have been
gradually increasing in the market. Including this, there have been increase in the carbon
emission. The US power system have been utilizing 40% of the country’s carbon dioxide
emissions (Baek et al. 2015). Therefore, smart grid has been the new future if the electric power
systems in the market. IT has been helping in providing efficient power supply and minimizing
all issues in the current infrastructure. Smart grid has been referring to the electricity delivery
and solving various current issues in the electricity delivery system. Various countries including
Europe, Canada, USA and China have been enhancing their power grids with the help of smart
grid technologies. They have been believing that these systems have been providing reliable,
scalable, extensible and manageable form of electricity in the power grid systems. The use of
different sources in the development of the A smart grid contains four elements including
advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA),
plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) and communication protocols and standards. Smart Meter has
been a component of AMI has been providing accurate measurement and automatic remote
reading of consumption of power. There have been several benefits of modernized electricity
network including ability for reducing power consumption on side of customer (Boroojeni,
Amini and Iyengar 2017). The reliability and efficiency of the smart grid has been expected for
saving money of customers and help in reducing CO2 emissions.

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Smart grid security challenges and possible solutions
Security Issues Possible solutions
1. Security issues in data and information of
smart grid. Implementation of Antivirus and Firewall.
2. Intervention of harmful virus entering into
network of smart grid.
3. Customer data security Implementing proper hardware security in
smart grid.4. Physical security
5. Lack in Implicit trust between traditional
power devices
It can be reduced by using proper
communication channel in the smart grid.
6. Lack in the lifetime of power systems
7. Communication issue Implementing proper ICT services in the
smart grid.8. Cyber security issues
9. False Data Injection attack Implementing proper security algorithms.
10. Attacks on AGC
11. Attacks on database of the Smart Grid
Systems
Providing proper power services in the power
grid.
12. Power Outage caused by hackers
13. Connectivity issues It can be mitigated by providing advanced
connection between components of Smart
grid
14. Stuxnet attacks
15. Attacks on control and management
system of Smart grid
Implementing proper firewalls and antivirus
in smart grid.
16. DDoS Attack
17. Network Security issues Improvising security in network architecture
of smart grid.18. Attacks in home area network (HAN)
19. Technical issues Proper maintenance of hardware systems of
smart grid.20. hardware breakdown
There have been several issues faced in the smart grid including cyber security issues in
the smart grid. These issues have been due to the intervention of harmful viruses that are entering
into the smart grid. The data security has been another issues faced in the smart grid (Guan et al.
2017). There have been various cases reported regarding loss of data from smart grid system.
Physical system security has been related to the physical damage of the smart grid hardware in
the system. The data security can be mitigated using proper antivirus and firewall implemented
in the smart grid system. Security intervention in the smart grid has been enhanced in due time.

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The distributed and automated energy system delivered by smart grid relies on two-way
flow of electricity and information. The smart grid has been providing a keen approach in the
development of smart system for distribution of electricity. There have been few open source
tools that are hampering the security issues in the smart grid system (Kabalci 2016). Current
smart meters have been designed for continuing valid operations in order to provide roper
communication in the smart systems. A smooth operations have been maintaining a keen
approach in the transfer of data and electricity in the smart grid. However, there have been
several attacks in the smart grid systems that have been creating issues in the system (Rawat and
Bajracharya 2015). The attacks have been changing operations of smart meter. There have been
limitation the design implementation of smart grid systems due to various attacks in the smart
grid systems. The customer data has been an important part of the smart grid system. Customer
data need to be secured under several security protocols. Security protocols have been helping on
mitigating security privacies issues. Data stored in smart grid systems have been in danger due to
cyber-attacks. Attacker used to develop malware and viruses for intervening to the smart grid
systems (Wang et al. 2017). The network and server have been vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
Security safeguarding policies have been adjusting its limitations in the system. There have been
huge loss of data due to these cyber-attacks in the smart grid systems. These have been causing a
loss to the organization providing smart grid systems facilities. A proper communication plan
has been helping in maintaining a keen approach in the development of the security policies.
The smart grid solutions have been providing specific advantages to the smart grid
security solutions. Several algorithms have been used in order to minimize security issues in the
smart grid systems. The architecture of the smart grid system have been helping in reducing error
detection in smart meters (Gharaibeh et al. 2017). The new architecture needs to be secure with

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proper security protocols in order to minimize security issues in the smart grid systems. The
technical vulnerabilities have been prevailing in the smart grid systems. Economic dispatches
having minimum cost of power production in electric power system (Fuqaha 2017). Most of the
communication systems have been maintaining a keen approach in the development of proper
communication systems including IT systems and other business processes. This communication
helps in proper coordinating for protecting devices for adopting new operation conditions.
Research Methodology
The above table describes about various security issues in the smart grid systems and
solutions to those problems. This research has discussed in the data security issues of the smart
grid technology.
Research methodology has been an important section of the research. It helps in
providing scientific methods to be used for completing the research in proper manner. There
have been different sections in the research method including philosophy, approach, design, data
collection method, sample size, data analysis method and ethical consideration (Alvesson and
Sköldberg 2017). This research has used positivism research methodology as it focuses on the
existing knowledge from models and theories related to data security in smart grid. Research
approach has been of two types including inductive and deductive approach. Inductive approach
focuses on the research objectives and questions. Deductive research approach has been
depended on hypothesis created for the research topic. Therefore, this research has used
deductive approach as it helps in testing hypothesis of the research. Research design has been of
three types including exploratory, explanatory and descriptive research design (Bauer 2014).
The explanatory research design has been focused on explaining existing theories and models
based on smart grid. The exploratory research design has been focused on exploring new

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elements in the research topic. The descriptive research design helps in describing the structure
and outline of the research study in a proper manner. Therefore, researcher has selected
descriptive research design as it provide a conclusion to the research topic.
Data and information has been an essential part of the research. Data collection method
have been of two types including primary and secondary data collection method The primary
data collection method has been focused on raw and statistical data related to the data security in
smart grid technology. It can be done using online survey (Brinkmann 2014). The secondary
method of data collection has been focused on collecting data from secondary sources including
inline journals, articles and books. This research has selected primary data collection method as
there is a requirement of statistical data for analysis data security issues in the smart rid. Online
survey has been done in the research using 50 employees in an organization. Google form has
been used for creating the survey questionnaire. There have been 10 close ended questions
included in the survey questionnaire. Data analysis has been of two types including quantitative
and qualitative data analysis method. The use of qualitative data analysis has been used for data
collected from secondary method of data collection (Choy 2014). The quantitative data analysis
method is used when data has been collected from primary data collection method. This research
has collected data from primary data collection method. Therefore, quantitative data analysis
method has been selected. Regression analysis has been used in order to test the hypothesis of
the study. Outcomes and results have been presented with the help of graphs and tables. This
research has followed all ethical consideration under the academic research guidelines. Data and
information has been secured under Data Protection Act 1998 (Dang and Pheng 2015). Data and
information have not been tampered during data analysis method. No survey participants have
been forced to join the survey and they can leave the research at any time and place.

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Timeline
Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
Data Security in Smart Grid 93 days Mon 6/4/19 Wed 10/10/19
Study Initiation 11 days Mon 6/4/19 Mon 6/19/19
Study Requirements
Analysis 2 days Mon 6/4/19 Tue 6/5/19
Research Approval 1 day Wed 6/6/19 Wed 6/6/19 2
Research development plan 2 days Thu 6/7/19 Fri 6/8/19 3,2
Research framework 4 days Mon 6/11/19 Thu 6/14/19 4,2
Research draft 2 days Fri 6/15/19 Mon 6/19/19 5,4
Research Planning 21 days Tue 6/19/19 Tue 7/17/19
Research team formation 2 days Tue 6/19/19 Wed 6/20/19 6
Research requirement
analysis 1 day Thu 6/21/19 Thu 6/21/19 6,8
Research question initiations 4 days Fri 6/22/19 Wed 6/27/19 8,9
Research scope 4 days Thu 6/28/19 Tue 7/3/19 10
Research timeline 4 days Wed 7/4/19 Mon 7/9/19 10,11
Resource allocation 2 days Tue 7/10/19 Wed 7/11/19 10,11,12
Initiation of Research 4 days Thu 7/12/19 Tue 7/17/19 13
Research Development 26 days Wed 7/19/19 Wed 8/22/19
Research issues 4 days Wed 7/19/19 Mon 7/23/19 13,14
Online resources 1 day Tue 7/24/19 Tue 7/24/19 13,16
Online library access 1 day Tue 7/24/19 Tue 7/24/19 13,16
Secondary sources 2 days Wed 7/25/19 Thu 7/26/19 13,17,19
Literature Review 4 days Fri 7/27/19 Wed 8/1/19 19
Collection of Necessary
Data 10 days Thu 8/2/19 Wed 8/15/19 19,20
Collection of Secondary
Data 5 days Thu 8/16/19 Wed 8/22/19 21
Data Analysis 8 days Thu 8/23/19 Mon 9/3/19
Analysis of Primary Data 4 days Thu 8/23/19 Tue 8/28/19 21,22
Analysis of Secondary
Data 4 days Wed 8/29/19 Mon 9/3/19 24
Research Evaluation 13 days Tue 9/4/19 Thu 9/20/19
Evaluation of Data 6 days Tue 9/4/19 Tue 9/11/19 21,22,23,24
Reflection on Research
Undertaken 2 days Wed 9/12/19 Thu 9/13/19 27
Documentation of
Learning Outcomes 2 days Wed 9/12/19 Thu 9/13/19 27
Issues Identification and 5 days Fri 9/14/19 Thu 9/20/19 29,28

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Future Planning
Research Closure 14 days Fri 9/21/19 Wed 10/10/19
Complete All Activities in
Research 1 day Fri 9/21/19 Fri 9/21/19 30
Documentation of Entire
Research 10 days Mon 9/24/19 Fri 10/5/19 32
Validation of the Research
and Learning 2 days Mon 10/8/19 Tue 10/9/19 33
Team Sign Off 1 day Wed 10/10/19 Wed 10/10/19 34

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