Review on data privacy and security for IoT-based multifunctional layers of cyber-physical systems in smart grids

Smart grid cyber-physical systems (SG-CPS) are intelligent platforms that incorporate IoT-enabled multifunctional layers including the physical, perception, communication, cyber, and application layers. It includes supervisory control and data acquisition, wide-area measurement systems, and advanced metering infrastructure for remote data aggregation, monitoring, and control operations. From an environmental perspective, these green technologies support two-way operations, which generate and transmit data over wired and wireless communication systems. However, this critical infrastructure faces data privacy and cybersecurity challenges. Hence, extensive research is required to address data privacy and security gaps to strengthen national grid cybersecurity and reduce economic losses. Therefore, this review highlights cryptographic techniques as significant mechanisms to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Accordingly, we investigate IoT-enabled multifunctional layer components and applications, their cybersecurity objectives, requirements, and essential cryptographic standards, protocols, and cyber-attacks. Subsequently, we categorize cryptography techniques for analyzing contemporary lightweight, authenticated, and key agreement protocols. Moreover, we present a comparative analysis of the performance, efficiency, and security features in cryptographic solutions. Finally, we identify challenges related to smart grid, cybersecurity, and cryptographic techniques, along with outlined recommended future research directions. The significance of this study lies in providing valuable insights into the performance and security of cryptographic techniques. It supports researchers who may consider tested cryptographic solutions to advance data privacy and cybersecurity within SG’s multifunctional layers of infrastructure.