Threat Scenarios and Monitoring Requirements for Cyber-Physical Systems of Flexibility Markets

TL;DR

This paper identifies security threats and monitoring needs in cyber-physical systems of flexibility markets, crucial for secure and efficient integration of renewable energy resources and distributed energy resources.

Contribution

It systematically formulates threat scenarios for the cyber-physical systems of flexibility markets, highlighting security challenges and unmet monitoring requirements.

Findings

Threat scenarios for CPS of FMs are systematically formulated.

Security challenges across cyber, physical, and market domains are identified.

Unresolved monitoring requirements for secure DSO participation are outlined.

Abstract

The ongoing integration of renewable generation and distributed energy resources introduces new challenges to distribution network operation. Due to the increasing volatility and uncertainty, distribution system operators (DSOs) are seeking concepts to enable more active management and control. Flexibility markets (FMs) offer a platform for economically efficient trading of electricity flexibility between DSOs and other participants. The integration of cyber, physical and market domains of multiple participants makes FMs a system of cyber-physical systems (CPSs). While cross-domain integration sets the foundation for efficient deployment of flexibility, it introduces new physical and cyber vulnerabilities to participants. This work systematically formulates threat scenarios for the CPSs of FMs, revealing several remaining security challenges across all domains. Based on the threat scenarios, unresolved monitoring requirements for secure participation of DSOs in FMs are identified, providing the basis for future works that address these gaps with new technical concepts.