Effect of stealthy bad data injection on network congestion in market based power system

In a smart grid, the strong coupling between cyber and physical operations makes power systems vulnerable to cyber attacks. Changing the traditional structure of power systems and integrating communication devices are beneficial for better monitoring and decisionmaking by System Operators but increases the chance of being maliciously attacked. The communication links can be hacked so that the attacker can alter the power flow and power injection measurements, which are used to estimate the states of power system. In this paper, we formulate an attack strategy that can change the congestion of transmission lines without being detectable. Moreover, the financial benefit in an Ex-Post market is also investigated. Simulation results on an IEEE 30-Bus test system shows both the changes of congestion and the potential financial benefit gained by an attacker.