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D. Sluijk
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Man in the Mesh
Evaluating Wi-SUN PAN security under compromised node attacks
Master thesis
(2026)
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D. Sluijk, G. Smaragdakis, P. Pawelczak, Thijs Ooms, Elfred van Nieuwamerongen
The energy transition demands significant changes of the power grid. Besides reinforcing the grid, DSOs (Distribution System Operators) look for ways to utilize the grid in a smarter way. This requires a lot of intelligent devices in the field, which all need to be controlled from a central location. Their remote communication is usually achieved through fiber or cellular connections. Wi-SUN FAN is a wireless mesh standard designed for utility grids, utilizing low-cost radios on the open spectrum to form a network. It has the potential to argument the connectivity for a DSO, and is already deployed at scale for AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), while also marketing itself for DA (Distribution Automation) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition).
Over the last few years there has also been an increase in reports of threats against critical infrastructure, while the energy grid is more exposed than ever by its increased digitalization. Adding Wi-SUN therefore increases the exposed attack surface a threat actor could use. It is important to evaluate the security properties it provides, before this network can be rolled out in any significant numbers.
One property of a resilient system is its ability to continue functioning, even with an adversary in the network. This is also known as the assume-breach principle. In this thesis we investigate the potential security impact of a single compromised node in a DSO-deployed Wi-SUN PAN. We derive the relevant threats and security objectives, analyzes the protocol for vulnerabilities, and models the resulting attacks, validating the central ones on certified Wi-SUN hardware. From these attacks we propose countermeasures and assesses the residual risk, showing how much a single compromised node can affect the security objectives of a DSO. ...
Over the last few years there has also been an increase in reports of threats against critical infrastructure, while the energy grid is more exposed than ever by its increased digitalization. Adding Wi-SUN therefore increases the exposed attack surface a threat actor could use. It is important to evaluate the security properties it provides, before this network can be rolled out in any significant numbers.
One property of a resilient system is its ability to continue functioning, even with an adversary in the network. This is also known as the assume-breach principle. In this thesis we investigate the potential security impact of a single compromised node in a DSO-deployed Wi-SUN PAN. We derive the relevant threats and security objectives, analyzes the protocol for vulnerabilities, and models the resulting attacks, validating the central ones on certified Wi-SUN hardware. From these attacks we propose countermeasures and assesses the residual risk, showing how much a single compromised node can affect the security objectives of a DSO. ...
The energy transition demands significant changes of the power grid. Besides reinforcing the grid, DSOs (Distribution System Operators) look for ways to utilize the grid in a smarter way. This requires a lot of intelligent devices in the field, which all need to be controlled from a central location. Their remote communication is usually achieved through fiber or cellular connections. Wi-SUN FAN is a wireless mesh standard designed for utility grids, utilizing low-cost radios on the open spectrum to form a network. It has the potential to argument the connectivity for a DSO, and is already deployed at scale for AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), while also marketing itself for DA (Distribution Automation) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition).
Over the last few years there has also been an increase in reports of threats against critical infrastructure, while the energy grid is more exposed than ever by its increased digitalization. Adding Wi-SUN therefore increases the exposed attack surface a threat actor could use. It is important to evaluate the security properties it provides, before this network can be rolled out in any significant numbers.
One property of a resilient system is its ability to continue functioning, even with an adversary in the network. This is also known as the assume-breach principle. In this thesis we investigate the potential security impact of a single compromised node in a DSO-deployed Wi-SUN PAN. We derive the relevant threats and security objectives, analyzes the protocol for vulnerabilities, and models the resulting attacks, validating the central ones on certified Wi-SUN hardware. From these attacks we propose countermeasures and assesses the residual risk, showing how much a single compromised node can affect the security objectives of a DSO.
Over the last few years there has also been an increase in reports of threats against critical infrastructure, while the energy grid is more exposed than ever by its increased digitalization. Adding Wi-SUN therefore increases the exposed attack surface a threat actor could use. It is important to evaluate the security properties it provides, before this network can be rolled out in any significant numbers.
One property of a resilient system is its ability to continue functioning, even with an adversary in the network. This is also known as the assume-breach principle. In this thesis we investigate the potential security impact of a single compromised node in a DSO-deployed Wi-SUN PAN. We derive the relevant threats and security objectives, analyzes the protocol for vulnerabilities, and models the resulting attacks, validating the central ones on certified Wi-SUN hardware. From these attacks we propose countermeasures and assesses the residual risk, showing how much a single compromised node can affect the security objectives of a DSO.
In this paper we will consider the Byzantine Reliable Broadcast problem on partially connected net- works. We introduce an routing algorithm for networks with a known topology. It will show that when this is combined with cryptographic signatures, we can use the routing algorithm to create an optimal amount of messages. We will introduce a few algorithms to estimate the routes required for this algorithm. Our simulations show that the amount of messages required for Byzantine Reliable Broadcast can be massively decreased by using this. We will also show that the method of choosing these paths has a huge impact, but come with their own trade- offs.
...
In this paper we will consider the Byzantine Reliable Broadcast problem on partially connected net- works. We introduce an routing algorithm for networks with a known topology. It will show that when this is combined with cryptographic signatures, we can use the routing algorithm to create an optimal amount of messages. We will introduce a few algorithms to estimate the routes required for this algorithm. Our simulations show that the amount of messages required for Byzantine Reliable Broadcast can be massively decreased by using this. We will also show that the method of choosing these paths has a huge impact, but come with their own trade- offs.