Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Challenges: IoT In Perspective

TL;DR

This paper reviews the security challenges of IoT in critical infrastructure, especially power generation, highlighting applications, risks, and strategies for secure implementation to ensure future resilience.

Contribution

It provides an empirical overview of IoT applications in power infrastructure and discusses security challenges and mitigation strategies.

Findings

IoT enhances power sector operations and customer engagement.

Security vulnerabilities pose significant risks to critical infrastructure.

Strategies for overcoming IoT security challenges are discussed.

Abstract

A technology platform that is gradually bridging the gap between object visibility and remote accessibility is the Internet of Things (IoT). Rapid deployment of this application can significantly transform the health, housing, and power (distribution and generation) sectors, etc. It has considerably changed the power sector regarding operations, services optimization, power distribution, asset management and aided in engaging customers to reduce energy consumption. Despite its societal opportunities and the benefits it presents, the power generation sector is bedeviled with many security challenges on the critical infrastructure. This review discusses the security challenges posed by IoT in power generation and critical infrastructure. To achieve this, the authors present the various IoT applications, particularly on the grid infrastructure, from an empirical literature perspective. The authors concluded by discussing how the various entities in the sector can overcome these security challenges to ensure an exemplary future IoT implementation on the power critical infrastructure value chain.