Modelling DoS Attacks & Interoperability in the Smart Grid

Abstract

Smart grids perform the crucial role of delivering electricity to millions of people and driving today’s industries. However, the integration of physical operational technology (OT) with IT systems introduces many security challenges. Denial-of-Service (DoS) is a well-known IT attack with a large potential for damage within the smart grid. Whilst DoS is relatively well-understood in IT networks, the unique characteristics and requirements of smart grids bring up new challenges. In this paper, we examine this relationship and propose the OT impact chain to capture possible sequences of events resulting from an IT-side DoS attack. We then apply epidemic principles to explore the same dynamics using the proposed S-A-C model.