Blockchain-Based Security for PV System

Project Informtion

• Project Title: Multilevel Cybersecurity for Photovoltaic Systems

• Award Number: DE-EE0009026

• Award Amount: $326,565+$113,454 Cost Share (Total $3.6M+1.14M Cost Share, Lead: University of Arkansas) 

• Project Period: 04/2020-12/2023

• Principal Investigator (PI) at TAMUK: Dr. Taesic Kim

• Post-Doc: Dr. Jinchun Choi

• Students: Bohyun Ahn, Kalyan Nakka, Seerin Ahmad

Project Overview

The goal of This project aims to address photovoltaic (PV) system cybersecurity at both the inverter and system levels, and field test the solutions at a solar PV farm under the advising and review of a US-based solar inverter manufacturer and a PV systems operator. TAMUK team will investigate and develop a new PV system-tailored,  blockchain-based, system-level security framework to mitigate the PV system security issues . 

Publications 

1. B. Ahn, T. Kim*, S. Ahmad, S. Mazumder, J. Johnson, A. Mantooth, and C. Farnell, "An overview of cyber-resilient smart inverters based on practical attack models," IEEE Trans. Power Electronics, 2023, under review.

2. J. Ye, A. Giani, A. Elasser, S. K. Mazumder, C. Farnell, H. A. Mantooth, T. Kim, J. Liu, B. Chen, G-S. Seo, W. Song, M. Greidanus, S. Sahoo, F. Blaabjerg, J. Zhang, L. Guo, B. Ahn, M. B. Shadmand, N. R. Gajanur, M. A. Abbaszada, "A review of cyber-physical security for photovoltaic systems," IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selective Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 4879-4901, Aug. 2022.

3. B. Ahn, A. Jenkins, T. Kim*, and J. Zeng, "Exploring ransomware attacks on smart inverters," in Proc. 2023 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, 2023, in press.  

4. A. M. Jenkins, B. Ahn, A. Akash, and T. Kim*, "Device-centric ransomware detection using machine learning-based memory forensics for smart inverters," in Proc. Eighth Annual Industrial Control System Security (ICSS) Workshop, Austin, TX, USA, Dec. 6, 2022, pp. 1-7. 

5. S. Alvee, B. Ahn, S. Ahmad, K. Kim, T. Kim*, and J. Zeng, "Device-centric firmware malware detection for smart inverters using deep transfer learning," in Proc. 2022 IEEE Design Methodologies Conferences, Bath U.K., Sep. 1-2, 2022, pp. 1-5.  

6. S. Ahmad, B. Ahn, S. R. B. Alvee, D. Trevino, T. Kim*, Y-W. Youn, and M-H. Ryu, "Advanced persistent threat (APT)-style attack modeling and testbed for power transformer diagnosis system in a substation," in Proc. 2022 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference North America, New Orleans, LA, April 24-28, 2022, pp. 1-5. 

7. J. Kim, K. Park, B. Ahn, J. Choi, Y. Noh, D. Won, and T. Kim*, "Real-time hardware-in-the-loop distributed energy resources system testbed using IEEE 2030.5 standard," in Proc. 2021 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies – Asia (ISGT Asia), Brisbane, Australia, Dec. 5-8, 2021, pp. 1-5. (Best Paper Award)

8. Y. Su, B. Ahn, S. Alvee, T. Kim*, J. Choi, and S. Smith, "Ransomware security threat modeling for photovoltaic systems," in Proc. 2021 6th IEEE Workshop on Electronic Grid (eGrid), New Orleans, LA, Nov. 8-10, 2021, pp.1-5.

9. S. Alvee, B. Ahn, T. Kim*, Y. Su, Y-W. Yoon, and M-H. Ryu, "Ransomware attack modeling and artificial intelligence-based ransomware detection for digital substations," in Proc. 2021 6th IEEE Workshop on Electronic Grid (eGrid), New Orleans, LA, Nov. 8-10, 2021, pp.1-5.

10. J. Choi, B. Ahn, S. Pedavalli, S. Ahmad, A. Villasenor, and T. Kim*, "Secure firmware update and device authentication for smart inverter using blockchain and physically unclonable function (PUF)-embedded security module," in Proc. 2021 6th IEEE Workshop on Electronic Grid (eGrid), New Orleans, LA, Nov. 8-10, 2021, pp.1-4.

11. B. Ahn, G. Bere, S. Ahmad, J. Choi, and T. Kim*, "Blockchain-enabled security module for transforming conventional inverters toward firmware security-enhanced smart inverters," in Proc. 2021 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Oct. 10-14, 2021, pp. 1307-1312.

12. J. Choi, B. Ahn, G. Bere, S. Ahmad, A. Mantooth, and T. Kim*, "Blockchain-based man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack detection for photovoltaic systems," in Proc. 2021 IEEE Design Methodologies Conference, Bath, UK, Jul. 14-15, 2021, pp. 1-6.

13. J. Choi, B. Ahn, S. Ahmad, D. Narayanasamy, J. Zeng, and T. Kim*, "A real-time hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) cybersecurity testbed for power electronics devices and systems in cyber-physical system environments," in Proc. 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems, June 28-July 1, 2021, pp. 1-5.

14. G. Bere, B. Ahn, J. J. Ochoa, T. Kim*, A. A. Hadi, and J. Choi, "Blockchain-based firmware security check and recovery for smart inverters," in Proc. 2021 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), Phoenix, AZ, June 14-17, 2021, pp. 675-679.  

15.  A. A. Hadi, G. Bere, B. Ahn, and T. Kim*, "Smart contract-defined control and co-simulation for smart inverters in a photovoltaic (PV) system and blockchain network," in  Proc. 2020 IEEE CyberPELS Workshop, Oct. 13, 2020, pp.1-6. 

16. G. Bere, J. Ochoa, I. R. Aenugu, and T. Kim*, "Blockchain-based firmware security check and recovery for battery management systems," in Proc. 2020 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC), Jun. 22-26, 2020, pp. 262-266.  

17. I. R. Aenugu, G. Bere, J. Ochoa, T. Kim*, C. Lee, and J-H. Park, "Battery data management and analytics platform using blockchain technology," in Proc. 2020 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC), Jun. 22-26, 2020, pp. 153-157.