Cybersecurity in MAS-Based Adaptive Protection for Microgrids—A Review

With the ever-growing reliance on digital communication networks in microgrids equipped with digital control systems and highly distributed energy resources, the threat of cyberattacks is more present than ever. Therefore, a robust cybersecurity response framework could be in place to secure smart grids, including microgrids, against cyberattacks. Adaptive protection systems, which are crucial for microgrid reliability and resilience, are also vulnerable. On the other hand, multi-agent systems are often employed in microgrid adaptive protection, providing a decentralized and cooperative framework where intelligent agents can monitor system conditions, exchange information, and detect anomalies. Many researchers in the literature have focused on addressing microgrid protection with multi-agent systems against physical faults in scenarios with various degrees of distributed energy resource penetration. Other research efforts have leveraged multi-agent systems, as well as technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced encryption, and authentication, to enhance the capabilities of microgrids for maintaining resilient operation under cyberattacks. However, both physical and cybersecurity anomalies have rarely been tackled in the same scheme. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the use of cybersecurity strategies for multi-agent-based adaptive protection schemes. From the results of this study, it was found that most research efforts do not address microgrid protection with an integrated approach, considering both physical and cybersecurity threats, as well as the application of established industry communication and cybersecurity standards. All of this, while maintaining scalability and performance, is crucial.