An essential aspect for the correct functioning of electrical system control and monitoring applications is the ability to analyze and evaluate possible attack processes that target communications and components of the operational infrastructure. Often the attacker, starting from the corporate network (or in any case from an IT (Information Technology) host), is able to reach the OT (Operational Technology) systems through side movements and compromise of network nodes.

Tools to study the evolution of attack processes are therefore needed in order to develop measures to intercept their intermediate steps and prevent their progress. The report presents an analysis methodology based on probabilistic graphic models such as Bayesian networks. The models allow preventive and diagnostic assessments to be performed in order to identify the criticality degree of each element of the system, the probability of compromise and the solutions to be implemented to improve the security of the infrastructure. Furthermore, if you know in advance the possible steps of the attacker in the attack process you can implement timely actions to deal with its effects.

Regarding the measures needed to ensure the safety of the electricity and energy system, the cybersecurity aspects of emerging IoT (Internet of Things), Fog and Cloud Computing infrastructures are becoming increasingly important, as these paradigms are increasingly used by new architectures. However, along with clear advantages, these new technologies bring with them new vulnerabilities and pose new challenges in terms of cybersecurity.

The following report lays the foundations for understanding the main features of the cybersecurity of these new paradigms, in order to identify which solutions can be applied in different environments, taking into account their peculiarities in terms of computational capacity, latency and number.

In particular, in this report some solutions are analyzed to ensure the authorization aspects, in terms of role management, through attribute-based techniques, which are more suitable for emerging contexts than classic solutions. Solutions have also been evaluated to ensure secure communications, both by securing communication channels via VPN (Virtual Private Network), and by implementing security measures for communication protocols. The studies carried out in this line of activity represent the basis for new developments in the next two years of activity.