Infrastructure protectionWireless sensors effective in protecting critical infrastructure
A key to critical infrastructure security is effective monitoring of such infrastructure; a European research project has now successfully demonstrated a wireless sensor-based solution for cost-effective monitoring of electricity distribution networks and water networks
Critical infrastructures are increasingly exposed to hacker attacks and other risks. Reducing these risks by making critical infrastructures more secure is a major societal challenge. A key element to achieve this is infrastructure monitoring. The European research project WSAN4CIP has now successfully demonstrated a wireless sensor-based solution for cost-effective monitoring of electricity distribution networks and water networks.
A Cordis Wire release reports that the WSAN4CIP solution is based on a secure communication network of wireless sensors. Since February 2010 it has been successfully implemented and tested in two use cases, one in the energy sector and one in the water utilities sector.
Energy
In the first use case, the project implements a network of wireless sensors and actuators (WSAN) in a part of the power distribution network of EDP Distribuição Energias de Portugal, a major energy distribution company in Portugal. The WSAN4CIP solution enables fast and reliable information on disruptions in the power distribution network and where they have occurred. If, for example, an intruder enters a power substation, a camera is automatically switched on, the intruder is filmed, and the video is sent with an intrusion alert to a control center. An alert is also sent, if sensors measure a too high temperature in substation equipment.
The WSAN4CIP solution allows the remote active monitoring of several safety and security-related parameters. This includes circuit breaker trip coil status and power transformer oil temperature as well as medium and low voltage power line activity in all three phases to detect location of power line failures. Furthermore the sensors allow remote detection of medium- and low-voltage power transformer hotspots, through an infrared camera, to identify an emerging malfunction. All the monitored parameters will be visualized via the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system through a special-purpose interface and a graphical user interface.
Water
In the second use case, the project implemented a network of wireless sensors and actuators in the drinking water network of FWA Frankfurter Wasser- und Abwassergesellschaft mbH, a regional drinking water and waste water management company in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
The wireless sensors in the network monitor physical access to the infrastructure, including the detection of intruders via open door contacts, and measure the water pressure as well as the water flow. Data is communicated in case a sudden decrease of water pressure occurs, which may be an indicator of a disruption. The cause of a disruption could be, for instance, an accidentally damaged water pipe or a malicious attack.
In order to make the wireless sensor and actuator network robust and resilient, the WSAN4CIP project team created a novel, improved transport protocol, which enables a more secure wireless data transmission. WSAN4CIP has proven that a high level of critical infrastructure protection can be achieved through its wireless sensor and actuator solution while the implementation is much easier, faster and less expensive than a wired solution.
The release notes that the goal of WSAN4CIP is to advance the technology of Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSANs) beyond the current state of the art, in order to improve the protection of critical infrastructures (CIs). WSAN4CIP is a Specific Targeted Research Project (STREP), which is partly funded by the European Commission in the ICT security area of the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) under Objective 1.7: “Critical Infrastructure Protection”. The project started on 1 January 2009 and has a duration of three years.
