Cryptographic Key Management for Smart Power Grids - Approaches and Issues

TL;DR

This paper discusses the security challenges in smart power grids, focusing on cryptographic key management for securing communication between smart meters and collectors, and reviews current techniques and their limitations.

Contribution

It provides an overview of security protocols, analyzes key management techniques, and highlights their weaknesses in the context of smart grid security.

Findings

Many secure features rely on key management techniques.

Current key management methods have notable weaknesses.

Initial research directions are proposed for improved security.

Abstract

The smart power grid promises to improve efficiency and reliability of power delivery. This report introduces the logical components, associated technologies, security protocols, and network designs of the system. Undermining the potential benefits are security threats, and those threats related to cyber security are described in this report. Concentrating on the design of the smart meter and its communication links, this report describes the ZigBee technology and implementation, and the communication between the smart meter and the collector node, with emphasis on security attributes. It was observed that many of the secure features are based on keys that must be maintained; therefore, secure key management techniques become the basis to securing the entire grid. The descriptions of current key management techniques are delineated, highlighting their weaknesses. Finally some initial research directions are outlined.