Most Critical Nodes-Based Attack Strategies Comparison in Interdependent Power-Communication Networks

Abstract

The communication network plays a vital role in supporting the power grid advanced functionalities. However, the tight interaction and mutual dependence between these two networks increase the risk of large-scale cascading failures. Therefore, it becomes important to conduct joint vulnerability analysis. In this paper, we compare different attack strategies based on the most critical nodes in both systems in terms of topological, electrical, and communication metrics. Results provide insights on minimizing the overall system vulnerability by protecting the most critical nodes based on all of the metrics.