Analysis of the Impact Mechanism of Synergetic Cyber Attacks on Electric Cyber Physical System

With the development of modern communication technology, the integration of the power system and the electric information network is becoming closer and closer, which results in a united electric cyber physical system (ECPS). The ECPS can achieve functions such as rapid fault detection and optimal power flow management through advanced information analysis and decision-making processes. Furthermore, in the event of an attack on the electric information network, the physical power system may become vulnerable to catastrophic failures. For instance, in 2015, a large-scale blackout occurred in the Ukrainian power grid that lasted for several hours, due to cyber attacks on multiple 220kV substations. And in 2019, the Guli Hydropower Station, which accounts for 40% of Venezuela's electricity generation, and the corresponding control center were suffered from cyber attacks, resulting in a major blackout that affects 18 states in this country. In this paper, we define a synergetic cyber attack as an orchestrated assault targeting multiple cyber nodes that correspond to critical physical nodes. As demonstrated by the aforementioned events, synergetic cyber attacks have the potential to pose a significant threat to the security of ECPS. Therefore, summarizing the characteristics of current information physical security incidents and analyzing the impact mechanisms of synergistic cyber attacks on ECPS hold significant practical importance.