Cyber-Physical Co-Simulation of Load Frequency Control under Load-Altering Attacks

Integrating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) devices into the power grid brings many benefits. However, it also exposes the grid to new potential cyber threats. Many control and protection mechanisms, such as Load Frequency Control (LFC), responsible for maintaining nominal frequency during load fluctuations and Under Frequency Load Shedding (UFLS) disconnecting portion of the load during an emergency, are dependent on information exchange through the communication network. The recently emerging Load Altering Attacks (LAAs) utilize a botnet of high-wattage devices to introduce load fluctuation. In their dynamic form (DLAAs), they manipulate the load in response to live grid frequency measurements for increased efficiency, posing a notable threat to grid stability. Recognizing the importance of communication networks in power grid cyber security research, this paper presents an open-source co-simulation environment that models the power grid with the corresponding communication network, implementing grid protective mechanisms. This setup allows the comprehensive analysis of the attacks in concrete LFC and UFLS scenarios.