PhD Courses in Denmark

Welcome to Cybersecurity for Microgrids (2025)

Description: 

Background:

Microgrids are becoming a cornerstone of power distributions systems that will facilitate the realization of a carbon-neutral electric power systems. Alongside their flexibility to be operated in both grid-connected and autonomous modes, they also provide natural interfaces with many types of RES and ESSs and good compliance with consumer electronics. Moreover, microgrids can be grid-interactive by providing grid supportive functions such as frequency response and, regulation, reactive power support and voltage regulation, etc. 

Motivation:

These concerns lead to more and more deployment of microgrids in transmission and distribution levels. Furthermore, with proliferation of communication technologies, microgrids are evolving into cyber-physical systems (CPS) that use sophisticated software-based networked control. This increased sophistication imposes numerous new challenges involving coordination, operation philosophy and vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks can be designed in many ways: (a) sensor infiltration, (b) communication infringement. Even though several hard-bound secure protocols are designed to ensure the authenticity of the actual signal, the attackers usually target the control layer as an easy target. Hence, this course aims to focus on: 

• (a) identifying the vulnerable access points in microgrid controllers
• (b) introducing the most prominent cyber-attacks
• (c) detection of cyber-attacks in real-time
• (d) removal of these attack elements and ensuring stability/preventing system shutdown
• (e) various stability issues in microgrids due to cyber-attacks
• (f) design of cyber-attack resilient controllers for microgrids, which heals by itself despite any cyber intrusion attempts. Experimental lab demonstration is expected as well along with discussion on future research ideas. 

Key words: Cybersecurity, Power Electronics, Microgrids, Information Theory, Control Theory, Signal Processing

Prerequisites: MSc in Power Electronics and Drives, Electric Power Systems, Mechatronics, Wind Power Systems, Wireless Communications

Learning objectives: This course will provide with:

1. a basic understanding of cyber-physical vulnerabilities and their evolution in the recent past

2. defense mechanisms to protect industrial control systems (ICS) and hardware against illegitimate threats

3. non-invasive probing techniques to understand the impact of such threats in ICS and various power electronic applications, such as solar farm, EVs, data centers.

Teaching methods: Lectures, Group work, Excercise, Small assignments

Form of evaluation: The participants will be grouped into teams based on several case studies, data (from our labs) and tasks proposed along the course. Based on the data and lectures, a design challenge (3 exercises) will be conducted to assess the efficacy and robustness of the security design by each team. This will be the terms of assessment for each team in combination with delivery of lab exercise reports. 

Criteria for assessment: Efficacy, robustness and simplicity (computational burden, resources) of the security design by each team

Remarks: In total around 38 hours (15 hours teaching, 3 hours for practicing, 3 hours for preparation, 15 hours for finalizing a student report - 3 exercises in a team (max 4 members), 2 hours for exam

Key literature: TBA

Organizer: Subham Sahoo, sssa@energy.aau.dk

Lecturers: Subham Sahoo, sssa@energy.aau.dk

ECTS: 1.5

Time: 10, 11, and 12 September 2025

Place: Aalborg University, AAU Energy (Room: TBA)

Zip code: 9220

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 25

Deadline: 20 August 2025