SADSA: Security aware distribution system architecture for smart grid applications

The distribution system is one of the main components in a a smart grid, readings are transferred from the distribution substations to the control center. Compromising system data will result in drawing wrong conclusions about current operation status at the control center, and subsequently, sending wrong commands, which may result in very serious consequences. In this paper, we propose a scalable communications architecture for future smart grid distribution systems (i.e. SADSA). The architecture is adaptable to use WiFi or other technologies to transfer smart grid information. The architecture is studied from various angles. Both communication and cybersecurity challenges are extracted. In addition, the paper provides a detailed discussion on how the proposed architecture meets National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security requirements for smart grids.