Resilience of diverse power system components against random and intelligent attacks for sustainable security: A review

Omid Sadeghian, Behnam Mohammadi-ivatloo, Mehdi Abapour and Jamshid Aghaei

International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 2026, vol. 53, issue C

Abstract: This study reviews the resilience of power system infrastructure in the face of random and intelligent physical attacks, focusing on vulnerabilities across transmission lines, generation units, substations, transformers, and buses under various attack scenarios. Such attacks—whether executed simultaneously or staggered over time—can lead to severe consequences, including load interruptions, unserved energy costs, repair and replacement expenses, cascading failures, and widespread blackouts, all within the constraints of limited attack budgets. This work emphasizes mitigation strategies for critical grid components, recognizing system planners and operators as key defenders tasked with minimizing both pre-attack vulnerabilities and post-attack impacts. A broad spectrum of resilience solutions is provided, covering facility-based solutions and strategic system-wide approaches aimed at enhancing robustness. Key factors such as resilience objectives, uncertainty modeling, multi-period planning, distributed generation, network reconfiguration, and energy storage integration are identified as essential elements for advancing strategic resilience. Additionally, this study critically examines prior research to uncover methodological gaps and areas requiring further investigation for strengthening power system resilience against deliberate threats. By synthesizing insights from existing literature, it highlights emerging trends and proposes future directions for enhancing power system resilience against deliberate physical threats. The review also addresses regulatory frameworks and offers policy recommendations tailored to the needs of stakeholders. In conclusion, the paper summarizes key findings and presents actionable recommendations to support the development of proactive and restoration-based defense mechanisms that safeguard the integrity, reliability, and adaptability of electrical infrastructure.

Keywords: Power system resilience; Physical attacks; Intelligent attacks; Physical threats; Load shedding; Load interruption; Cascading failures; Blackout; Vulnerability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ijocip:v:53:y:2026:i:c:s1874548226000041

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcip.2026.100832

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