Key Technologies and Research Prospects for Defense Strategies Against Cyberattacks in Electricity Markets

Abstract

The deep integration of digital technologies has significantly improved the operational efficiency of electricity markets, but it has also introduced increasingly severe and sophisticated cybersecurity challenges. As a highly coupled cyber–physical system (CPS), the electricity market is increasingly vulnerable to attacks that exploit weaknesses in both market mechanisms and information infrastructure. Unlike existing reviews, this study makes three key contributions: First, it provides a hierarchical analysis of cyberattacks targeting electricity market operations, detailing how such attacks manipulate outcomes for profit or disruption. Second, it proposes a novel full-lifecycle dynamic defense framework tailored to the cyber–physical–market nature of the electricity market, coordinating defenses across the entire attack lifecycle to ensure market stability and financial integrity. Third, it analyzes key enabling technologies for attack–defense games and identifies fundamental challenges to market resilience. Looking ahead, the manuscript outlines a strategic research agenda, emphasizing breakthroughs in intelligent and collaborative technologies. These advancements are expected to drive the evolution of the electricity market’s defense from a passive–reactive model to a state of active immunity, which can anticipate, withstand, and autonomously recover from complex cyber threats.