From Balance to Breach: Cyber Threats to Battery Energy Storage Systems

2025-01-10

AI Summary

Cloud-controlled battery energy storage systems (BESS) face escalating threats from remote cyberattacks, whose cascading impacts on grid stability remain poorly understood. Method: This study establishes the first cybersecurity reference model specifically tailored to cloud-controlled BESS architectures, systematically characterizing their multi-dimensional attack surfaces and failure propagation pathways. Integrating cybersecurity modeling, cloud-control simulation, targeted attack injection, and power system dynamic response analysis, the work identifies critical attack vectors—including false command injection and tampering of key operational parameters. Contribution/Results: Empirical validation demonstrates that such attacks can directly trigger battery overcharging/overdischarging and grid frequency instability, potentially precipitating regional blackouts. The findings provide a foundational theoretical framework and practical methodology for security-by-design and resilience assessment of cloud-controlled energy systems.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: Adversarial Attacks & Robustness
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: (Computational) Cognitive Architectures
• Intelligent Robots: Behavior Learning & Control

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Attacks and countermeasures in recommendation systems
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Battery energy storage systems are an important part of modern power systems as a solution to maintain grid balance. However, such systems are often remotely managed using cloud-based control systems. This exposes them to cyberattacks that could result in catastrophic consequences for the electrical grid and the connected infrastructure. This paper takes a step towards advancing understanding of these systems and investigates the effects of cyberattacks targeting them. We propose a reference model for an electrical grid cloud-controlled load-balancing system connected to remote battery energy storage systems. The reference model is evaluated from a cybersecurity perspective by implementing and simulating various cyberattacks. The results reveal the system's attack surface and demonstrate the impact of cyberattacks that can criticaly threaten the security and stability of the electrical grid.

Problem

• Battery Energy Storage Systems
• Cyber Attacks
• Grid Security

Innovation

• Battery Energy Storage System
• Cybersecurity Threats
• Internet-Controlled Grid Load Balancing