Performance Analysis of Non-Pairing Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption in Active Distribution System

The evolution of traditional power grids into smart grids has enabled two-way Internet of Things (IoT)-based communication between utilities and devices or consumers, improving energy distribution and efficient service to the end-users. However, the deployment of IoT technology can expose cyber-attack vulnerabilities, which can lead to the tampering of critical electricity-based data in the distribution sector, where the consumers are directly involved in the energy sector through various initiatives of the smart grid, such as demand side management, demand response and Transactive Energy Management System (TEMS). As a result, this may lead to malicious decisions regarding market clearing prices in the TEMS. To address these vulnerabilities, this paper proposes a lightweight and secure cryptographic protocol that integrates non-pairing-based Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption (HIBE) with Shamir’s Secret Sharing (SSS) to achieve mutual authentication and establish a secure session key without relying on third-party authorities. The session key enables the secure exchange of sensitive information between utilities and consumers. An analytical evaluation of the proposed protocol demonstrates that it achieves low computational and communication overhead. Furthermore, the protocol has been evaluated in an IoT-based smart grid environment using the NS3 simulator, with network performance metrics including Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), Average End-to-End Delay, and network throughput. The results confirm that the proposed protocol outperforms existing protocols by achieving low communication overhead and maintaining a high PDR above 98% with less than 0.0165326 (sec) transmission delay across various participant scenarios.