HArMoNICS: High-Assurance Microgrid Network Infrastructure Case Study

Abstract

Modern Intelligent Infrastructures (II) are highly complex, interconnected systems that are now emerging. For instance, II can integrate technologies and processes to provide citizens with faster services and better goods. An average II can include many technologies, e.g., Cloud applications and IoT devices, under different environments, e.g., industry 4.0 production plants and smart buildings. Although II bring concrete benefits to all of these contexts, they also carry security concerns. Reasoning about threats and security exposures that might affect II is non trivial. This is only partially due to their inherent complexity. As a matter of fact, real II are typically in charge of some critical operations that cannot be interrupted or compromised for experimental purposes. An alternative solution is to rely on digital replicas which can provide a good trade off between realism and usability. These assets represent a strategic and highly demanded resource for the security community. In this paper we present HArMoNICS, a case study infrastructure meant to provide a playground for security experts interested in II security. HArMoNICS revolves around a digital replica of a real Smart Polygeneration Microgrid (SPM) located in Italy. Although most of the components are based on or inspired to the real system, HArMoNICS has been enriched with further security-relevant features. As a result, the case study includes vertical uses cases focusing on specific security topics. Security researchers can use it to assess the effectiveness of new methodologies, to carry out security training activities, or even to extend it with new elements.