Smart Grid Cybersecurity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The security of the power grid is essential for the proper function of a democratic society, yet it is constantly under threat. The internet of things (loT) will make a bad situation much worse. Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM) have been identified as serious threats to our democratic institutions, and that same acronym applies to mobile device management (MDM), and these devices have become ubiquitous. People are notoriously bad at doing basic cybersecurity. With trillions of devices and remote access everywhere, what could possibly go wrong? Now add in the engaging opportunity of distributed energy resources (DERs) and life gets very interesting. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems may require substantial upgrades to meet minimal cybersecurity standards. Balancing the demand-response system is much more complex, especially if the islanding of neighborhoods is promoted within a Smart Grid. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may assist in daily operations, but also poses a potential threat. This paper uses a literature review to assess the current technology management status and evaluate the impetus for progress against future threats.