A Game Theory-Based Approach for Vulnerability Analysis of a Cyber-Physical Power System

In a Cyber-Physical Power System (CPPS), the interaction between the power cyber system and the power physical system becomes more extensive and more in-depth. The failure of a cyber component could have an impact on the security and reliability of the power physical system. Existing publications have focused on the impacts of the power cyber network on the power physical network, while a general CPPS model considering the mutual impacts of these two networks is less studied. Given this background, a game-theoretic approach for a cyber-physical power system vulnerability analysis is proposed. First, a CPPS interactive model framework is structured, consisting of five types of elements: P-nodes, PP-links, C-nodes, CC-links and CP-links. The interactions among these elements are considered. On this basis, the system cascading failure under potential attacks is analyzed, followed with an optimal load curtailment operation when in an emergency. To further illustrate the system vulnerability, a bi-level optimization model under a game-theoretic framework is presented to describe the interactions between a CPPS attacker and a system defender. Optimal resource allocation by the system defender for maintaining system reliability can be obtained by solving the problem. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by a revised version of the IEEE 14-bus power system.