Designing Network Security Architecture for Small-sized Hydropower Stations in Hyper-connectivity

Small-sized hydropower stations serve as critical components in driving the widespread renewable energy transition. However the communication and remote control systems lack of mitigation to cybersecurity challenges. The critical information systems in hydropower stations have poor design in aspect of information security, and are overexposed to public, making these stations easy targets for cyber attackers. Previous studies have mainly focused on communication encryption and threat identification of information systems in small-sized hydropower stations, but lacked a comprehensive analysis of the entire operational process. To address this research gap, this paper proposes a security-based network framework adapted to the scenarios of small-sized hydropower station in the real world. The research addresses the operation and maintenance as well as cybersecurity challenges faced by small hydropower stations in the ubiquitous connectivity environment and proposes a systematic framework. This framework utilizes a dedicated 5th generation mobile communication technology (5 G) network for the secure transmission of core data within different signal convergence areas. A multifactor secure access service edge (SASE) framework is used to establish a robust and trusted communication tunnel, thereby enhancing the security and reliability of remote management operations. A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) mode enables intelligent global management of ubiquitously connected hydropower stations. This framework was deployed and validated in a field scenario in Yongtai County, Fujian Province, China. The practical implementation of this framework in actual hydropower stations has demonstrated its effectiveness, leading to significant improvements in service availability, security, and overall efficiency of small-scale hydropower stations, thereby fostering a more resilient and sustainable energy future.