False data injection attacks against modern power systems: modelling and countermeasures

The integration of information and communication technology into the power grid is a significant development trend of modern power systems. The high penetration of information and communication technologies can improve control center’s perceived capabilities of the whole system and help system operators make quick responses to contingency situations, but also impose many challenges to the system operations. Cyber-attacks on modern power systems have therefore drawn the attention of both academia and industry. The content of this thesis is organized by publications according to logical relationships in the study of a specific type of cyber security problem, namely, false data injection attacks (FDIAs), in modern power systems. This thesis addresses key challenges for modelling targeted FDIAs based on DC power flow model, and coordinated cyber-attacks of FDIAs and cyber topology attacks based on AC power flow model. A series of effective attacking strategies and efficient algorithms from the adversaries’ viewpoint are proposed. This thesis also addresses key challenges for countermeasures of the modern power system to defend against cyber-attacks.