Seminar by Dr. Subhash Lakshminarayana

Title: IoT-Based Load-Altering Attacks Against Power Grids
Date: 09-12-2022, Friday
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Venue: MMCR of EE Department, Room No: C-241 (First floor)

Abstract: Large-scale Internet of Things (IoT)-based load-altering attacks can have a major impact on power grid operations such as causing unsafe frequency excursions and destabilizing the grid’s control loops. In this talk, I will present my recent research on enhancing the resilience of power grids to IoT-based load-altering attacks. First, I will present a novel analytical framework to investigate the impact of IoT-based static/dynamic load-altering attacks (S/DLAAs) on the power grid’s dynamic response using the theory of second-order dynamical systems. The results help identify the victim nodes from which that attacker can launch the most impactful attacks and offer insights into how the temporal fluctuations of load and renewable energy sources impact the grid’s vulnerabilities to LAAs. Finally, I will present results on the detection and mitigation of such attacks.

Biography: Dr. Subhash Lakshminarayana is an associate professor at the University of Warwick. His research interests include cyber-physical system security and wireless communications. He serves as an associate editor in the IET Smart Grid journal. His research is funded by Innovate UK, EPSRC-PETRAS National Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity of IoT Systems UK, and the EUTOPIA European Alliance.