Location Based Environment Sensing and Information Report using Cognitive Radio for Smart Grid Security

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In this paper we present an approach to security through location based environment sensing and information report using cognitive radio. The term environment sensing is used to sense physical quantities in the surrounding area and not for RF spectrum sensing. The environment sensing system is an essential monitoring system which senses ongoing activity in the vicinity and reports using wireless interface. Since the system is connected to a network, it is possible to modify and monitor required parameter from a remote location. Normally this would be implemented using a security camera installation that provides images to remote monitoring system. However, with recent advancement in signal processing technology it is possible to recognize ongoing activity with a microphone and identify speech. If the system is provided with basic functionality of operation, location awareness and surrounding temperature understanding, rest of the sensing can be developed by process of speech recognition. On the other hand, new electricity meters being rolled out to millions of homes and businesses are riddled with security bugs that could bring down the operation of power grid and could result into massive black outs. These smart meters for the first time provide two-way communications between electricity users and the power plants that serve them. These smart meters have buggy software which easily could be hack by running a software update over the wireless interface causing problems that power companies may not be able to deal gracefully with. After intense research in the specified area and to alleviate specified problem, we came up with device security solution which could sense the environment near the smart meter and provide alert system. The use of cognitive radio provides scrambled wireless operation on the network which makes it extremely difficult to hack. The firmware of the meters and other confidential data is encrypted with security certificates. In some scenarios, smart meters will be provided with power shortage information which would respond using same cognitive radio by telling other home appliances to cut operation till the power is more plentiful i.e. turn of television set or music system.

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Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2010 Clean Technology Conference and Trade Show
Published: June 21, 2010
Pages: 183 - 186
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Energy Storage
ISBN: 978-1-4398-3419-0