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Best sync practices and architecture strategies for secure, resilient PNT in smart grids
Jan 27, 2022, Long Beach, CA, 10:40-11:00a PT (Session P5), ION ITM/PTTI 2022
Nino De Falcis, senior director, sync business development Americas, Oscilloquartz

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Tighter data timestamping accuracy requirements
source: NASPI Time Sync Task Force Report, 2017
passive active
AC AC+DC
unidirectional flow bidirectional flows
distri. energy resources (DERs)
large energy lines/pipelines

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*Positioning, Navigation & Timing**
New gov mandate for resilient PNT* requirements
**Timing is the most critical parameter enabling PN

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Driven by US federal gov’s executive order 13905 of Feb 2020
• Protect critical gov & industry infrastructure against PNT disruptions
from GPS/GNSS jamming/spoofing & other cyberattacks
• Define critical infrastructure under national security threats
• Power grid
• Finance
• Transportation
• Communications
• Data centers
• Use published resilient PNT guidelines & standard in progress
• DHS Resilient PNT Conformance Framework
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework for PNT Profile
• IEEE P1952 Resilient PNT UE working group
What is the resilient PNT mandate?

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The problem in power grids
$1B/day in economic cost if PNT is disrupted*
*source: RTI & NIST 2019
GPS & US critical infrastructure under national security threats
Finance
Communications
Power grids
Transportation Data centers
All supported by
PNT
cyberthreats

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RARE
Cyberattacks
GPS/GNSS receiver
Core clocks
PNT cyberthreats & GNSS vulnerabilities
PNT
cyberthreats
Jamming
RARE
GPS/GNSS
degradation
causes
Environmental
GPS segment
errors
Adjacent-band
transmitters
Spoofing
External GPS/GNSS level Internal network level
Network and
PNT device
failures
Boundary clocks
COMMON
NTP
PTP
More frequent

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What are DHS Resilient PNT guidelines?
Core functions Functional diagram PNT Resiliency levels
DHS Resilient PNT Conformance Framework
1 source 2 sources 3 sources next gen
systems
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4

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What are NIST PNT Cybersecurity guidelines?
Core
Core
Desired cybersecurity
outcomes organized in
a hierarchy & aligned to
more detailed guidance
& controls
NIST Cybersecurity Framework for PNT Profile
Goals
Core
• Guidance & controls
Implementation tiers
• Cybersecurity risk
measurement &
management practices
Profile
• Alignment of user
requirements & objectives,
including risk appetite &
resources
Framework

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EV
Wind
Smart homes
Generator
Control/Visibility
Battery storage
Energy demand
Solar
Microgrids
DER* gen Grid control Grid transmission flow Grid mgmt
PNT
cyberthreats
*distributed energy resources
Visualizing secure smart grid sync with PNT assurance
Core/Edge telecom network Core/Edge data center
Substation

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Best PNT framework practice with zero-trust PNT sources
3 building blocks
DHS Resilient PNT Levels 0 1 2 3 4 Enhanced 4
Alternative sources Neural sw intelligence
Anti-threat protection
Multisource
backup
Multilevel fault-
tolerant mitigation
Multilayer
detection
Network
(PTP/APTS/mgmt)
Device
(GNSS/Cs/holdover/etc)
Receiver
(GNSSSB/MB/Mcode/etc)
Augmented Resilience + Robustness + Cybersecurity = Assurance + Compliance
Antenna/Accessory
(GNSS/Mcode/eLoran)

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User level 0 PNT disruption User level 1 PNT resiliency
Solution
Problem
Best sync architecture strategies with PNT technology
Level 1 resiliency
User (substation) User
GPS SB (single band) GNSS (multi-constellations: GPS, Galileo, etc.)
SB or MB (multiband L1/L2/L5)
Grandmaster with basic GPS SB receiver Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver
• MB mitigates jam/spoof event
• SB with 2 receivers, fixed & nav
mode, detecting spoof event
• Smart anti jam/spoof software
• Holdover clock: OCXO or Rb
Optional
• Anti-jam antenna
• In-line anti-jam/spoof
accessory

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User level 1 PNT disruption User level 2 PNT resiliency
Solution
Problem
Best sync architecture strategies with PNT technology
Level 2 resiliency
User
PTP
Telecom
network
Monitor
ePRTC*
Trusted
GNSS MB
User (substation)
GNSS MB
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver
• Same config as level 1 resiliency
PLUS
• PTP network time backup
from a trusted network
ePRTC* source
• PTP network time monitor
with threat alarms
*enhanced Primary Reference Time Clock
(GNSS Grandmaster + independent Cesium atomic clock)
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver

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User level 2 PNT disruptions User level 3 PNT resiliency
Solution
Problem
Best sync architecture strategies with PNT technology
Level 3 resiliency
• Same config as level 2 resiliency
PLUS
• Secondary PTP network time
backup from a peer network
grandmaster
• PTP network time monitor
with threat alarms
User
PTP
ePRTC
Trusted
PTP
GNSS MB
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver
User (substation)
PTP
ePRTC
Trusted
GNSS MB
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver

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User level 4 PNT resiliency
Problem
Best sync architecture strategies with PNT technology
User level 3 disruptions
Solution
• Same config as level 3 resiliency
PLUS
• Intelligent fault-tolerant
mitigation & monitoring
system for assured PNT (aPNT)
• PTP network time feeds self-
reconfiguring for intelligent
self-healing backup & aPNT
User
aPNT
ePRTC
Trusted
PTP
GNSS MB
User (substation)
PTP
ePRTC
Trusted
PTP
GNSS MB
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver
PTP
Level 4 resiliency
PTP

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User level 4 disruptions User enhanced level 4 PNT resiliency
Solution
Problem
Best sync architecture strategies with PNT technology
• Same config as level 4 resiliency
PLUS
• Other sources of opportunity
User
aPNT
ePRTC
Trusted
PTP
GNSS MB
Grandmaster - GNSS SB/MB receiver
PTP
Other alternative sources
like eLoran & LEO PNT
Enhanced level 4 resiliency
User (substation)
aPNT
ePRTC
PTP
GNSS MB
Grandmaster with GNSS SB/MB receiver
PTP
PTP PTP

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• Tighter PTP timing requirements for bidirectional flows in smart grids
• New resilient PNT requirements for protecting critical smart grid infrastructure
• Visualizing secure smart grid sync with PNT assurance
• Best PNT framework practice with zero-trust PNT sources
• Best sync architecture strategies for secure, resilient smart grids:
✓ Core sites: GNSS source+ trusted Cesium atomic clock backup + network PTP feed backup
✓ Substations: GNSS source + network PTP feed backup
• For any Q&A, please contact me at ndefalcis@adva.com
Takeaways