Challenges and Opportunities in Power System Security, Resiliency, and Privacy

By S. Massoud Amin and Anthony M. Giacomoni T THE EXISTING POWER DELIVERY system is vulnerable to both natural disasters and intentional attack. A successful terrorist attempt to disrupt the power delivery system could have adverse effects on national security, the economy, and the lives of every citizen. Secure and reliable operation of the electric system is fundamental to national and international economic systems, security, and quality of life. This is not new: both the importance and the diffi culty of protecting power systems have long been recognized. In 1990, the U.S. Offi ce of Technology Assessment (OTA) issued a detailed report, Physical Vulnerability of the Electric System to Natural Disasters and Sabotage. The report concluded: “Terrorists could emulate acts of sabotage in several other countries and destroy critical [power system] components, incapacitating large © B R A N D X P IC T U R E S