The Impact of Stealthy Data Integrity Attacks on Wide-Area Monitoring System Applications

Cybersecurity has become a paramount concern in light of the potential consequences of disruptions within the energy sector, such as widespread outages resulting from successful cyber-attacks. To meet this challenge this paper aims to delve into the impact of data integrity attacks on the Wide-Area Monitoring System (WAMS) at the application level. The study outlines various models of data integrity attacks that substitute original data. Using these attack models, the consequences of attacks on WAMS are simulated and analyzed. These attacks are designed with complex behavior to mimic real processes in power systems, potentially misleading related systems and operators. The performed case studies use cyber-physical testbed facilities with industrial WAMS applications to showcase the impact of these stealthy attacks.