Needle-in-the-Haystack: On Automatic Risk-based Searching to Stop Cyber-Physical Threats in Large-Scale Power Systems

Power grid infrastructure is cyber-physical in nature where a geographically distributed electrical network is monitored and controlled using a vast network of computers or cyber infrastructure. Understanding this cyber-physical interconnectedness is critical to assessing and improving the risk posture of the power grid with respect to cyber threats. We present an analysis of cyber-physical risk approaches to help utilities improve grid defense: cyber-physical situational awareness and control under adversarial presence. A 200-bus cyber-physical power system is analyzed as a case study. Finally, we discuss opportunities for improved automated risk analysis in decision-making problems, for trustworthy response in emerging cyber-physical-human system-of-systems.