Bandwidth Efficient Secure Authentication and Encryption Techniques on IEC-60870-5-104 for Remote Outstations

This work is based on the contributions and analysis from several ongoing technical projects and research activities of applying several security approaches in smart grid, namely, secondary substation of the future. The bandwidth requirements of Secure Authentication (SA), Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) encryption needed to secure future smart grid is presented along with a comparison between overheads from each security technique. Recommendations and discussions that cover the main challenges and prospects for the appropriate security approach for secondary substations are also presented.

I. Introduction

As electrical grids transition into smart grids, reliable communication is required. This communication provides control and oversight of remote infrastructure. However, installing and securing these communication systems presents a number of challenges. Wireless networks reduce many of these challenges, and therefore present an efficient option for the power utilities to deploy. However, as the number of devices and their measurement resolution increases, so does the bandwidth required to operate these systems. This has financial and practical limitations for utility networks, as wireless systems require the use of a finite spectrum.