Multicast Delayed Authentication for Streaming Synchrophasor Data in the Smart Grid

Abstract

Multicast authentication of synchrophasor data is challenging due to the design requirements of Smart Grid monitoring systems such as low security overhead, tolerance of lossy networks, time-criticality and high data rates. In this work, we propose inf -TESLA, Infinite Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication, a multicast delayed authentication protocol for communication links used to stream synchrophasor data for wide area control of electric power networks. Our approach is based on the authentication protocol TESLA but is augmented to accommodate high frequency transmissions of unbounded length. inf TESLA protocol utilizes the Dual Offset Key Chains mechanism to reduce authentication delay and computational cost associated with key chain commitment. We provide a description of the mechanism using two different modes for disclosing keys and demonstrate its security against a man-in-the-middle attack attempt. We compare our approach against the TESLA protocol in a 2-day simulation scenario, showing a reduction of 15.82% and 47.29% in computational cost, sender and receiver respectively, and a cumulative reduction in the communication overhead.

Empirical Studies of TESLA Protocol: Properties, Implementations, and Replacement of Public Cryptography Using Biometric Authentication

“…Although the TESLA protocol exhibits symmetric properties, it does not support the scalability of new IoT devices joining a system or the loss of the predefined keychain packets owing to weak communication [11]. Therefore, improvements and updates are proposed to the original TESLA protocol to achieve more security services and scalability.…”

“…C. µTESLA PROTOCOL µTESLA protocol aims to simplify the functionality of the TESLA protocol from a broadcast authentication into a unicast authentication, where the sender (base station) authenticates the receivers individually [1], [11], [14]. The protocol relies on the condition that the receiver should review a value related to the time interval of the transmitting base station, to ensure that the key is not disclosed yet.…”

Smart Grid Metering Networks: A Survey on Security, Privacy and Open Research Issues

“…For instance, assumed that the sender broadcasts 20 packets then the propagation delay is almost 13 seconds. In the same vein, Camara et al [209] proposed Infinite Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication (inf-TESLA). The protocol provides a multicast delayed authentication to stream synchrophasor data for controlling the phasor measurement unit (PMU) that is deployed in the wide field area of electric power network.…”

“…Summary: Table XIV summarises the proposed approaches that preserve privacy as well as mitigate the forwarding point compromise threats. In addition, we presented the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed schemes [207] [208] [209].…”

“…In [207], the authors discussed that a (malicious) forwarding point can be detected via utilising the trusted set, but it is very likely a smart meter may leave the trusted set then revoking keys may be another prime concern. Moreover, Camara et al's [209] scheme suffers from high communication cost and may be vulnerable to memory-based DoS attacks.…”