The Challenge: Securing Today’s Smart Grids
Modern smart grids and other critical infrastructure systems depend on a mix of new digital technologies and long-lived legacy equipment. Much of this infrastructure was never designed for today’s cyber-security threats or data-driven operation. As a result, this can lead to several practical challenges:
- Legacy devices and protocols that use unencrypted or minimal security to maintain real-time performance
- Limited visibility because many systems are isolated on local networks
- High upgrade costs and operational risk, making changes difficult without disrupting services
- Poor data access for advanced monitoring, AI-based optimisation, or digital twin applications
This forces grid operators to choose between performance, security, and insight. In many cases, security controls are pushed to central gateways, increasing latency and leaving large parts of the network exposed.
The Solution: Programmable Networks Built for Smart Grids
Our approach introduces network-wide orchestration of programmable data planes to secure smart grid communications without compromising performance.
Using eBPF-based networking, security and monitoring capabilities are embedded directly into the network fabric rather than added as external appliances. These programmable functions can be centrally managed and deployed across the network, allowing operators to:
- Apply real-time security controls closer to substations, sensors, and control systems
- Maintain low-latency communication required for grid protection and control
- Gain fine-grained visibility into traffic flows and system behaviour
- Adapt controls dynamically as operational conditions or threat levels change
This software-defined approach reduces dependence on static legacy networking and enables a more resilient, flexible infrastructure that better matches the needs of modern smart grids.
Validation in a Realistic Smart Grid Environment
The solution is validated using a smart grid use case within the JOINER platform. JOINER provides a distributed, wide-area environment that reflects real-world operating conditions, including:
- Heterogeneous devices and networks
- Wide-area connectivity and latency
- Realistic scale across multiple sites
This allows us to test how programmable, eBPF-enabled networking performs in scenarios that closely resemble operational smart grid deployments, rather than isolated lab setups.
Expected Outcomes and Business Value
This work will deliver clear, industry-focused results for smart grid operators and technology providers:
- Proven scalability and resilience
A large-scale demonstration of programmable data-plane orchestration over a wide-area network, tailored to smart grid requirements. - Performance and security insights
Quantitative metrics on latency, reliability, and system overhead to support informed deployment decisions. - Improved grid security architecture
Evidence that security can be distributed across the network, reducing single points of failure and improving response times. - Foundations for advanced grid services
Better data access and control to support future use cases such as predictive maintenance, digital twins, and AI-driven optimisation. - Contribution to UK leadership
Demonstrates practical innovation in secure, programmable networking for nationally important infrastructure, with relevance beyond energy systems.
Delivery Partners
This work is delivered in collaboration with:
- University of Glasgow
- University of Bristol
Together, the partners combine expertise in networking, security, and critical infrastructure to address real operational challenges facing smart grid operators.