Authentication and Key Management for Advanced Metering Infrastructures Utilizing Physically Unclonable Functions 2012-2 (original) (raw)

A Survey on Key Management and Authentication Approaches in Smart Metering Systems

Energies

The implementation of the smart grid (SG) and cyber-physical systems (CPS) greatly enhances the safety, reliability, and efficiency of energy production and distribution. Smart grids rely on smart meters (SMs) in converting the power grids (PGs) in a smart and reliable way. However, the proper operation of these systems needs to protect them against attack attempts and unauthorized entities. In this regard, key-management and authentication mechanisms can play a significant role. In this paper, we shed light on the importance of these mechanisms, clarifying the main efforts presented in the context of the literature. First, we address the main intelligent attacks affecting the SGs. Secondly, the main terms of cryptography are addressed. Thirdly, we summarize the common proposed key-management techniques with a suitable critique showing their pros and cons. Fourth, we introduce the effective paradigms of authentication in the state of the art. Fifth, the common two tools for verifyin...

A Novel Non-cryptographic Security Services for Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Smart Grid

Communications on Applied Electronics, 2015

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is an architecture for automated, two-way communication between a smart utility meter and a utility company. It is responsible for collecting all the data and information from the loads and consumers. These data and information are critical as it threats the reliability of electrical energy delivery and consumers' privacy. Traditional security solution rely on public key infrastructure may not suitable due to the scalability of the electric grid. In this paper, the author presents a noncryptographic approach for providing confidentiality, integrity, and authentication (CIA) for AMI. The methods presented in this paper based on the hardware and physical layer approach. A basic idea of the integrity and authentication techniques is to use physical unclonable function (PUF), while the confidentiality technique is based on channel status information of wireless channel between the AMI subsystems. Our approach is secure and efficient for large scale network.

Encryption key management for secure communication in smart advanced metering infrastructures

2013 IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm), 2013

Smart grid technology can improve environmental sustainability and increase the efficiency of energy management. Because of these important benefits, conventional power grid systems are being replaced with new, advanced smart grid systems utilizing Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMIs). These smart grid systems rely on current information and communication technology (ICT) to provide enhanced services to both users and utility companies. However, the increased use of ICT makes smart grid systems vulnerable to cyber-attacks, such as spoofing, eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. A major security concern is related to secure data transmission between the smart meters and the utility. Encryption techniques are typically used for such purpose. However the deployment of encryption techniques in an AMI requires efficient and scalable approaches for managing encryption keys. In this paper, we propose an efficient encryption key management mechanism for end-to-end security in the AMI. By applying certificateless public key cryptography for smart meter key management, our approach eliminates certificate management overhead at the utility. Moreover, our mechanism is practical, because it does not require any extra hardware for authentication of the smart meters.

Security Threats in Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is drawing more and more attention due to various benefits which it brings. Compared to traditional power grid systems or advanced meter reading (AMR) systems, AMI systems possess capabilities to provide improved management and predictability of power utilization, to monitor and detect fault occurrences, and to conserve energy. However, behind the various benefits brought by AMI, there still exist plenty of security threats. The open network used by AMIs is an extremely convenient interface for malicious attackers or network hackers to damage the AMI systems; on the other hand, the immature hardware design for AMI devices might cause physical breach points.

Safe is the New Smart: PUF-Based Authentication for Load Modification-Resistant Smart Meters

IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, 2020

In the energy sector, IoT manifests in the form of next-generation power grids that provide enhanced electrical stability, efficient power distribution, and utilization. The primary feature of a Smart Grid is the presence of an advanced bi-directional communication network between the Smart meters at the consumer end and the servers at the Utility Operators. Smart meters are broadly vulnerable to attacks on communication and physical systems. We propose a secure and operationally asymmetric mutual authentication and key-exchange protocol for secure communication. Our protocol balances security and efficiency, delegates complex cryptographic operations to the resource-equipped servers, and carefully manages the workload on the resource-constrained Smart meter nodes using unconventional lightweight primitives such as Physically Unclonable Functions. We prove the security of the protocol using well-established cryptographic assumptions. We implement the proposed scheme end-to-end in a Smart meter prototype using commercial-off-the-shelf products, a Utility server, and a credential generator as the trusted third party. Additionally, we demonstrate a physics-based attack named load modification attack on the Smart meter to demonstrate that merely securing the communication channel using authentication does not secure the meter, but requires further protections to ensure the correctness of the reported consumption. Hence, we propose a countermeasure to such an attack that goes side-by-side with our protocol implementation.

Smart Meter Security: vulnerabilities, threat impacts, and countermeasures

ACM IMCOM 2018 : 12th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Management and Communication, 2018

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is the aggregation of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems that are tailored to meet the efficient integration of renewable energy resources. The more complex features and soundless functionalities the AMI is enhanced with, the more cyber security concerns are raised and must be taken into consideration. It is imperative to assure consumer's privacy and security to guarantee the proliferation of rolling out smart metering infrastructure. This research paper analyzes AMI from security perspectives; it discusses the possible vulnerabilities associated with different attack surfaces in the smart meter, their security and threat implications, and finally it recommends proper security controls and countermeasures. The research findings draw the foundation upon which robust security by design approach is geared for the deployment of the AMI in the future .

Security Architecture for Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) becomes one of the most realistic and commercial systems in power grid since smart grid has been introduced, but its security issues are not cleared yet because of both economical and technical problems. However, the infringement of privacy becomes under controversy recently, security cannot be an option in deploying AMI system any more. In this paper, we propose the security architecture for AMI system after defining some security requirements, and then the AMI security protocol in more details. The emulation board is implemented in FPGA type to verify that our research is reasonable and realistic.

A lightweight security scheme for advanced metering infrastructures in smart grid

Bulletin of Electrical Engineering and Informatics

Smart Grid (SG) enlarges the traditional power grid into a new dimension where millions of electronic devices relate to each other through Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI) network using information and communication technology (ICT). The integration of ICT to the traditional power grid opens the path for the adversaries to invade through various cyber-attacks. Resource constrained electronic devices connected in AMI with the SG claims for faster, low power, less processing time and overall lightweight security schemes to prevent the cyber-attacks and to make the grid secure from adversaries. In this paper, a lightweight security scheme has been proposed consolidating ChaCha20 data encryption method, chaos based key generation and public key-based authentication scheme. Mathematical analysis shows that the proposed scheme is suitable to be used in SGs in terms of low power, less processing time and high throughput which makes it lightweight and faster. This scheme also prevent...

Security Aspects in the Advanced Metering Infrastructure

2011

The traditional electrical grid is transitioning into the smart grid. New equipment is being installed to simplify the process of monitoring and managing the grid, making the system more transparent to use but also introducing new security problems. Smart meters are replacing the traditional electrical utility meters, offering new functionalities such as remote reading of the consumption indexes, different time of use tariffs, automatic error reporting, and the possibility for the electricity providers to remotely turn off and on the electricity service at one location. This research thesis studies this last feature through two scenarios where we emphasize the effects of an attack exploiting the remote turn off feature, both on a theoretical level and through a simulation. In the first scenario, the frequency property of the grid is the target in an attempt to cause a widespread blackout. In the second scenario, the voltage is driven out of bounds by the adversary, causing physical damage to the electrical appliances of the affected customers. Data provided by the smart meters can be used to develop fraud and attack detection and mitigation tools. Obtaining real data can sometimes be cumbersome, due to privacy concerns. We propose an anonymization technique for sensitive data, based on a cryptographic procedure; this provides consistent results even if it is used over different traces. An implementation of this technique is also provided. In the process of developing fraud and attack detection and mitigation techniques, the case of off-line centralized data is covered, for both individual smart meters and clusters of smart meters. We would like to express our gratitude towards our advisers, Dr. Marina Papatriantafilou and Dr. Magnus Almgren for their valuable insights and constant feedback during the elaboration of this research thesis. They have encouraged us to explore additional domains in the quest of finding answers to the problems that appeared along the way. We would also want to thank Dr. Christopher Saunders, from the Energy and Environment Department, for his useful inputs regarding issues from the Electrical Engineering domain. Last but not least, we would like to thank our families for their continuous support and understanding.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure Security Considerations

2007

The purpose of this report is to provide utilities implementing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) with the knowledge necessary to secure that implementation appropriately. We intend that utilities use this report to guide their planning, procurement, roll-out, and assessment of the security of Advanced Metering Infrastructure. This report discusses threats to the AMI, the likely sources of threat, damage mechanisms, and attack consequences. A high-level assessment of risk due to AMI exploitation is given. The report concludes with an outline strategy and specific recommendations for reducing risk. A utility implementing the recommendations contained in this report as it installs AMI technology will be positioned to detect and withstand attacks that attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities of the AMI. Advanced Metering Infrastructure Security Considerations