A survey on security of communication networks used in power distribution networks

The power industry is facing problems such as fossil fuel reduction, greenhouse gas emissions and the lack of automated analysis of the power grid. To meet the existing challenges, creating a new infrastructure is essential. The concept of smart grids aims to update existing power grids by integrating advanced communication infrastructure with the existing grid, making power grids more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Integration of power networks and communication networks, while it has many benefits, it has disadvantages in system security and protection. In this paper, after familiarizing with the smart grid communication infrastructure, their features and applications, the existing threats against the security of communication networks are introduced, and suitable actions are discussed, including prevention, detection, and counteract against security risks. At the security risks prevention stage, solutions such as encryption and blockchain have been studied and reviewed with the purpose of maintaining access to network information for authorized users. In the field of identifying attacks in the smart grid due to the need for a smart and fast solution, deep learning as one of the smart, dynamic and powerful tools with its applications in improving smart grid security has been investigated.