IEEE Electrification - December 2020 - 101

client-server (master-slave) architectures using bus network topologies.
Additionally, some international standards designed
for power communication networks can be used in the
MG communication network. For example, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 is
employed for communication between devices in transmission, distribution, and substation automation systems.
Standard IEEE 1547.x can be used for interconnecting
DERs with an electric power system. Standard IEC 61986 is
introduced for data exchange between devices and networks in the distribution network.

there should be four types of communication modes,
including: 1) the device-to-device communication model,
2) the device-to-cloud communication model, 3) the
device-to-gateway communication model, and 4) the
back-end data-sharing model. Each model has its own
framework and key features that will bring new and
unique security challenges. Therefore, security and privacy should be considered respectively based on the data
transmission protocols of each model. Table 1 presents a
summary of these four communication models, including
their characteristics, typical protocols, considerations, and
challenges for security and privacy.

MG Communication Models

MG Security Challenges

From the operation perspective, it is also necessary to consider how devices from the supply and demand sides connect and communicate with each other (i.e., their
communication modes). For the IoT-enabled MG system,

Cyberattacks
Driven by the rapid development of technologies in
communication networks, MGs open a communication

TABLE 1. A summary of the four communication models.
Communication
Models

Characteristics

Typical Protocols

Security and Privacy

Device-to-device
model

*	Devices connect and communicate directly *	Bluetooth
without the intermediary layer
*	Z-Wave
*	Over heterogeneous communication wired *	ZigBee4
or wireless networks
*	Uses small data packets of information to
communicate
*	Vulnerable to security threats due to direct
wireless connection, mobility of end users,
and privacy issues in social applications

*	Authentication and authorization
*	Availability and dependability
*	Non-repudiation
*	Secure routing and transmission
*	Confidentiality and integrity
*	Anonymity and indistinguishability
*	Context privacy
*	Unlinkability and deniability

Device-to-gateway
model

*	Devices are converged on a gateway, which *	Bluetooth Smart
acts as a conduit to reach upper level
*	IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi)
services
*	IEEE 802.15.4 (lowrate wireless personal
*	The gateway layer takes over the comarea network)
bination of private networks and public
networks
*	The gateway can provide security and
other functionality, such as data and protocol translation
*	Usually used for the interoperability with
non-Internet Protocol (IP) devices

*	Data confidentiality
*	Data integrity
*	Authentication of devices and
services
*	End-to-end encryption
*	Secure onboarding
*	Firmware updates
*	Integrity management

Device-to-cloud
model

*	Devices connect directly to the cloud*	Ethernet
based services
*	Wi-Fi
*	Over the IP network
*	Upper-level energy aware services and
-applications resident in the cloud
*	Outsourced storage and computation bring
a new challenge to security and privacy
issues

*	Identity privacy
*	Location of privacy
*	Node compromise attack
*	Layer removing/adding attack
*	Forward and backward security
*	Semi-trusted and/or malicious
cloud security

Back-end datasharing model

*	Enables users to export and analyze
smart object data from multidata sources
*	Allows the data collected from single IoT
device data streams to be aggregated and
analyzed
*	An approach to achieve interoperability
among these back-end systems

*	End-to-end encryption
*	Platform and application integrity
verification
*	Big data threats
*	Public key infrastructure
*	Application programming interface security
*	Localization and tracking

*	CoAP
*	HTTP
*	Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure
*	OAuth 2.0
*	JavaScript Object
Notation

	

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101
IEEE Electrification - December 2020

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