A Real-Time Cyber-Physical HIL Testbed for Cybersecurity in Distribution Grids with DERs

This paper introduces a high-fidelity cyber-physical Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testbed to tackle cybersecurity challenges arising from the transition to active distribution grids with the increasing penetration of grid-edge Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The testbed incorporates commercially available hardware devices, communication network emulators, and grid-edge Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs). Its controlled environment facilitates the study of cyber vulnerabilities, risk assessments, and the development of robust detection and restoration mechanisms. Notably, the testbed explores scenarios involving unobservable False-Data-Injection (FDI) attacks on inverter-based DERs as coordinated multiwave cyber attacks. Leveraging a multi-core real-time digital simulator from OPAL-RT, the testbed enables real-time execution of distribution grid simulation and communication network emulation. A modified IEEE 13-bus distribution feeder was used for testing and demonstration, with connections to various external devices, including SEL 411L relays, SEL 3350 RTAC, and the OpenDSO platform.