Cloud computing's impending impact on smart grids

Phys.org recently reported that cloud computing might actually prove to be a helpful tool in the fight to secure smart grid control centers, rather than a threat. This has been the opposite side of the argument for years, in that many believe cloud computing can enhance security through the centralization of management andoversight, which is particularly important given the massive proliferation of new devices that can act as entry points.

According to the news provider, researchers from North Carolina State University believe that the transition of moving control centers miles away from the main operating facility and into a hosted cloud environment would potentially improve the efficiency of oversight on top of the effectiveness.

"Our early tests indicate that the distributed computing approach would make the grid more resilient against both physical attacks and cyberattacks," AranyaChakrabortty, one of the researchers involved, told the source. "Our next step is to scale up the collaboration to get more detailed analysis of different types of attacks. The more we understand about our potential vulnerabilities, the better controllers we'll be able to design to protect our infrastructure."

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