A Survey on Smart Grid Networks and Security using Lattice Based Cryptography

A smart grid network (SGN) is an advanced electrical grid system based on information and communication technology. The system uses digital technology, sensors, and two-way communication to manage electricity flow from generation to consumption, enabling real-time monitoring, efficiency, reliability, and seamless integration of renewable and electric vehicles. In the present time, SG network systems are vulnerable to cyber security attacks because these systems use sensors as well as the internet during two-way communication. So, there is a critical need of cryptosystems that can ensure the security of two-way smart grid communication. There are numerous authentication protocols proposed by researchers to protect smart grid networks (SGNs) from cyber security attacks. But, most of them are based on prime factorization and discrete logarithmic problems, which are vulnerable to quantum computing attacks. The researchers have found that lattice-based cryptographic primitives are important candidates to form cryptosystems that are hard to break even on quantum computers. The aim of this article is to find out lattice-based cryptosystems that are suitable to design the cryptographic protocols secure against quantum computing attacks. This survey provides an overview of lattice-based cryptosystems and their applications in securing SG networks.