Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructures, especially Digital Substations, has garnered significant attention from both the industrial and academic sectors. A commonly adopted approach to support research in this area involves the use of datasets, which consist of network traffic samples gathered during the operation of an infrastructure. However, creating such datasets from real-world electrical systems presents some challenges: (i) These datasets are often generated under controlled or idealized conditions, potentially overlooking the complexities of real-world operations within a digital substation; (ii) the captured data frequently contain sensitive information, making it difficult to share openly within the research community. This paper presents the creation of a new dataset aimed at advancing cybersecurity research, specifically focused on GOOSE spoofing attacks, given the crucial role of the GOOSE protocol in managing operational and control tasks within Digital Substations. The dataset highlights the real-world impacts of these attacks, demonstrating the execution of unintended operations under different operational scenarios, including both stable conditions and situations involving system failures. The data were collected from a laboratory testbed that replicates the actual functioning of a real digital substation with two bays. The experiments provided insights into key characteristics of GOOSE protocol traffic and the vulnerability of DS infrastructure to Spoofing Attacks.

IEC 61850 standard is becoming most relevant in electrical industry, focused on interoperability between devices, achieving multi-manufacturer systems communicate and becomes the standard for transport network of digital substation conception, smart grids and automation of power systems. In a power substation, deployment of a communication network based on IEC61850 includes station bus and process bus. Process bus transmits messages with data that contains sampled electrical signals acquired by Merging Units that sends Sampled Values to IEDs. In Colombia, the implementation of process bus remains minimal. In order to promote the migration of conventional substations to digital substations in Colombia, the ISA group, is working together with the first IEC 61850 laboratory in Latin-America from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia at Medellín, leading a pilot project involving laboratory tests, creation of profile and finally the assembly of an architecture with multivendor process bus within a company substation. Furthermore, this document shows important aspects of results obtained out of the first stage of the project. Results obtained from communication tests of different signals are presented as well, as the performance of the devices in this process, also, additional aspects that were evidenced throughout the tests are considered. Finally, some conclusions are represented intended to contribute the sector, searching for more implementation of substations with process bus, according to IEC 61850-9-2 standard.

Digital electrical substations (DESs) represent a significant development for the electrical industry. New communication technologies and architectures have emerged alongside the development of DESs. This paper presents an analysis of typical communication architectures used in DESs. In addition, some optimization alternatives are identified, assessing the possible impacts on companies. Experimental tests were conducted in a laboratory to support the analysis performed in this research. Finally, some emerging topics and technologies supporting infrastructure optimization and technological adaptability are included. This study has revealed various impacts that companies must consider to effectively incorporate these architectures into the design and implementation processes of DESs. Finally, effective cybersecurity and access control policies should be implemented across all components of a DES to ensure successful implementations.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming global industries. However, Latin America faces significant challenges in adopting these technologies. Particularly, small- and medium-sized enterprises constitute the backbone of the economy in the region. This study analyzes the technological gap between Latin America and more developed regions, focusing on public policies, infrastructure, and gap-closing training. Based on a systematic literature review and secondary data analysis, this research highlights key indicators such as digital infrastructure, investment in research and development, and the effectiveness of government strategies in promoting Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Results reveal that Latin America lags behind Europe and Asia in applications related to Internet of Things, cloud infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. However, there are opportunities for improvement through targeted public policies, increased investment in research and development, and enhanced collaboration between the public and private sectors. The study concludes that bridging the digital divide requires a holistic approach that includes improving infrastructure, fostering digital skills, and creating favorable regulatory environments. This research stands out from similar studies by providing a detailed analysis of the regional barriers to adopting Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 and offering concrete recommendations for policymakers.

Digital substations are changing electrical systems by integrating new technologies into smart grids. However, implementing digital substations brings various advantages and challenges. Adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs) demands examining network infrastructure, cyber threats, and vulnerabilities. Examining digital substation protocols, communication structures, and identifying cyber vulnerabilities is crucial for successful digital transformation and energy transition. In addition, lab-based cyberattacks replicate real scenarios to test defenses and risk-mitigation approaches. Therefore, this paper presents a simulated substation environment that emulates physical and digital elements, demonstrating successful spoofing attacks through GOOSE messaging. This study highlights the importance of managing cyber risks in digital systems and how they can affect power grids. The study reveals vulnerabilities like those within GOOSE messaging, proposing attributes for early attack detection. Furthermore, the study provides valuable guidance for implementing innovative applications and advancing human capital knowledge in the energy sector.

The digitization of electrical substations brings great challenges for the commissioning of electrical protections, and interoperability tests must be performed with different equipment. Therefore, this work evaluates the response time of an electrical protection relay operating with sampled values in a digital substation with a process bus. A test scheme is proposed to emulate the process bus based on analyzing the main components in a digital substation with multi-vendor device interoperability. In addition, the delay times of the protection relay with the process bus are measured, considering interoperable infrastructure as a fundamental factor in the system performance. The results are compared with the response times of a conventional relay that operates with analog signals to identify the impact of the digitalization of signals in electrical substations with a process bus. Each relay has an instantaneous overcurrent function adjusted to operate with the same pickup currents at different fault current levels. The results show that tripping times are admissible for the operation of the protection relays, considering three-time measuring points in the test scheme. The time delays found are related to high data traffic in the communication network and the traffic saturation according to the time measuring point. Other delays related to processing SVs in an MU do not represent a risk for the protection scheme. For the industry, the methods presented in the research are useful for configuring and testing electrical substations with different equipment and topologies. In addition, the results presented here seek to generate confidence in companies and engineering teams when migrating to systems with digital substations.