Security issues in cloud-based Smart Grid applications

Abstract

The restructuring process in power systems leads to future systems as smart grids for the usage of more renewable instead of classical nuclear power plants. In this area information communication and computation systems are playing a major role in monitoring and controlling applications in smart grid so that reforming the energy delivery system. In smart grid a vast amount of data is collected from every angle of the energy delivery network, from customer energy meters, energy generation units in the customer premises and third party players. This bi directional information flow needs appropriate communication ways and the collected data has to be processed in a reliable, distributed, parallel and scalable computing resources. To address this demand cloud computing has a good potential and is considered to be a part of future solution. As a result several cloud-based smart grid applications are developed and being implemented. However, because of its nature of a shared pool of resources, cloud computing security and privacy are of particular concerns. Especially when it is used in sensitive area like electric utility applications. In this paper the security of cloud computing applications for power system is analyzed. The available security measures will be surveyed.