There is a growing number of power grid devices that receive time syncronization from GPS. However, the problem is that GPS is an identified cybersecurity risk— it can be easily jammed or spoofed, compromising the reliability and resiliency of the modern grid. This session will discuss several strategies to address and mitigate this challenge.

Examples of devices on the grid that require precision time synchronization: phase measurement units (PMU) synchrophasors, smart inverters, sequence of events and digital fault recorders (DFR), and other key devices for the digital sub-stations.

Another area of risk is a growing trend to distribute GPS-provided precise time from highly accurate and redundant centralized infrastructures. The precise time is sent to various power utility service infrastructures across long distances, to a region or state, using terrestrial links, such as dark fiber and other forms of optical fiber circuits, at sub-microsecond accuracy, to provide a GPS/GNSS independent timing infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• How to toughen GPS reception to avoid its vulnerabilities and improve the resiliency
• How precise time synchronization can be realized over standard communication networks, reliably and securely
• How to provide "holdover" time synchronization which maintains synchronization for extended periods of time
• How to use White Rabbit time transfer technology to transfer precise time over a long distance with sub-microsecond accuracy over fiber to have a GPS/GNSS independent time synchronization for mission-critical grids