Cybersecure Embedded Control Architecture for Critical Power Infrastructure

Abstract

ABSTRACT: With increasing digitalization in power systems, embedded controllers deployed in substations, renewable plants, and transmission nodes face elevated cybersecurity threats. This paper proposes a multilayer cybersecure embedded control architecture incorporating hardware-level authentication, encrypted communication channels, and lightweight intrusion detection running locally on embedded processors. The system utilizes cryptographic acceleration modules optimized for DSP and ARM platforms to maintain low latency while ensuring data confidentiality and integrity. Behavioral anomaly detection algorithms monitor command patterns, device interactions, and timing irregularities to identify and isolate malicious activities. Evaluation on a realtime cyber-physical testbed demonstrates that the proposed architecture significantly improves security robustness while preserving control performance.

KEYWORDS: Cybersecurity, Embedded controllers, Intrusion detection, Secure communication, Power infrastructure.