Guarding Digital Substations: Securing IEC 61850 Digital Substations with AI: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path Forward
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores the role of AI in securing IEC61850-based communication protocols within digital substations, emphasizing the potential and challenges of applying AI in this context. It highlights various AI techniques used for cybersecurity of IEC61850 communication, such as machine learning and deep learning, and discusses their strengths and limitations. It highlights both the promise and the limitations of rule-based and current AI approaches. While many machine learning (ML) models achieve impressive results in controlled settings, challenges related to data scarcity, class imbalance, real-time constraints, and explainability need focused efforts to build operators’ confidence for wider deployments. By articulating these challenges and distilling practical lessons from live deployment and comparative benchmarking, this article aims to provide a roadmap for utilities, vendors, and researchers seeking to deploy AI responsibly in safety-critical grid environments.
Source: IEEE Power and Energy Magazine
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204801846