Security and Privacy for Future Energy Grids
Security and Data Protection for Energy Grids
Our energy systems are becoming more and
more interconnected with stronger dynamics and fluctuations at the same time.
The widespread use of information technologies is intended to help balance the
generation and use of energy. In addition to the necessary benefits of
information technologies, this also entails risks, especially with regard to
the security of the energy network and the collected electricity consumption
data. KASTEL deals with questions and solutions concerning the security of the
energy network and sensitive consumer data. A decisive factor in this research
is the Energy Lab
2.0, which is centrally located at KIT and deals intensively with
the energy networks of the future.
Security
and Privacy for Future Energy Systems
Our energy systems will be fundamentally
restructured in the future. Solar and wind energy is generated decentrally and in a highly fluctuating
manner. Only the intensive use of information technology can balance production
and demand.
This widespread use of IT systems creates
new threats to the economy and society at the same time: the power consumption
data collected for network control allow conclusions to be drawn about private
life habits and production processes in industry. At the same time, additional
IT systems increase the attack area; manipulation can lead to disruptions,
damage and long-term, large-scale power outages. This makes IT security an
essential prerequisite for a successful Energiewende (Energy Transition).
In order to ensure the security of such
systems, the electricity grid must be considered in its entirety so that the
concepts and methods of information technology and electrical engineering can
be appropriately integrated. In particular, data protection and the legal
framework of regulation require a close involvement of the jurisprudence.
KASTEL develops interdisciplinary solutions for the security and privacy of the
power grids of the future.
A particular challenge is to reconcile
the seemingly contradictory requirements for functionality, real-time
capability, privacy protection and robustness against attacks and disruptions.
Distributed energy systems should not only have a secure IT infrastructure, but
also be robust as a whole, since attacks cannot be completely avoided.
KASTEL researches the security and
resistance of real systems in the Energy Lab 2.0 of the Helmholtz Association and
in the IT security laboratory for the production of the Fraunhofer
IOSB.
The research group involved is the Institut für angewandte Informatik (IAI).