Identifying Security Requirements for Smart Grid Components: A Smart Grid Security Metric

Abstract

The most vital requirement for the electric power system as a critical infrastructure is its security of supply. In course of the transition of the electric energy system, however, the security provided by the N-1 principle increasingly reaches its limits. The IT/OT convergence changes the threat structure significantly. New risk factors, that can lead to major blackouts, are added to the existing ones. The problem, however, the cost of security optimizations are not always in proportion to their value. Not every component is equally critical to the energy system, so the question arises, "How secure does my system need to be?". To adress the security-by-design principle, this contribution introduces a Security Metric (SecMet) that can be applied to Smart Grid architectures and its components and deliver an indicator for the "Securitisation Need" based on an individual risk assessment.