STRAYER: A Smart Grid adapted automation architecture against cyberattacks

Even with advances in Smart Grids and their cybersecurity recommendations, recent attacks on automation and protection systems of these structures show that it is still necessary to investigate this research problem. With that in mind, this work proposes STRAYER: a SmarT aRchitecture Against cYbERattacks to reduce the vulnerability of automation equipment in Smart Grids. STRAYER integrates cybersecurity for monitoring and shielding access, interoperability for maintaining communication between equipment/devices, and risk management for maintaining reliability and preventing real-time cyberattacks on Smart Grids. To validate the STRAYER, we built a prototype commonly used in smart grids. The results showed that STRAYER increases the security efficiency compared to the traditional architecture, reducing the amount of infected equipment and the undue access time to Smart Grids. In addition to the reductions in the amount of IED’s affected by invasions, it was also possible to notice that STRAYER avoided the collapse of a Smart Grid, having only minimal and reversible losses, unlike the traditional architecture.