Robust authentication and key agreement protocol for smart microgrid environment

Integrating advanced communication technologies has significantly enhanced power distribution efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in the evolving landscape of smart microgrids. However, this integration introduces substantial security challenges, particularly concerning authentication and critical agreement processes, which are essential for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of smart grid communications. This paper presents a novel authentication and key agreement protocol specifically designed for the smart grid environment by incorporating advanced cryptographic techniques such as ECC, physical unclonable functions, and blockchain. Our protocol ensures mutual authentication between devices, robust key management, and resistance to prevalent security threats. We conduct a comprehensive security analysis and performance evaluation, demonstrating that our protocol enhances security and maintains the efficiency necessary for practical deployment in smart grids. The results indicate significant improvements in security and performance metrics compared to existing solutions, establishing our protocol as a viable and effective option for securing smart grid communications. • Blockchain-based key management ensures scalable, resilient data exchange. • Novel ECC- and PUF-driven protocol enables secure smart microgrid authentication. • Protocol achieves mutual authentication, session secrecy, and forward secrecy. • Resistant to replay, man-in-the-middle, cloning, and physical attacks. • Supports lightweight operations suitable for real-time smart energy systems.