Real-Time Cyberattack Detection for SCADA in Power System

Abstract

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems monitor and control industrial processes, but their integration with information technology and network connectivity, including the internet, exposes them to potential cyber threats. As SCADA systems become essential infrastructure, their vulnerability to cyber-attacks has increased, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of potential risks. This paper presents a laboratory setup mimicking a real-world SCADA system, involving the simulation of an IEEE 14 Bus system integrated with IEDs. The communication link between the SCADA centre and IEDs is established through the MODBUS communication protocol. This paper further analyzes and detects cyber-attacks targeting SCADA systems, including Ping flood attack, UDP flood attack, Smurf attack, and Random flood attack. All these attacks are executed using Kali Linux tools. The Wireshark tool is employed to analyse network traffic and detect these attacks, which are also validated in real time using OPAL-RT (OP4510). The results demonstrate the successful implementation and detection of cyber-attacks, contributing to a deeper understanding of cyber threats and informing proactive security strategies to strengthen the security of Power SCADA systems against evolving cyber threats.