Leveraging ICT for Power Delivery and Electrification in Africa: Cyber security, Privacy and Data Protection

Abstract

The lack of proper ‘security measures’ on power installations can cause a major blackout which in turn can lead to a cascaded power failure. Therefore, to protect the critical power system infrastructure and to ensure a reliable power supply to the end users in Africa, smart grid security issues must be addressed with high priority. This paper presents cyber security, privacy and data protection as crucial in maintaining stable and reliable power system operations needed for Power delivery and electrification in Africa. Contingency situations which can be caused by the failure of a critical power system component can be prevented by building a ‘secured smart grid’ with a less possibility of power grid collapse or equipment malfunction. The paper examined available resources in cyber security, privacy and data protection initiatives to identify common themes and best practices in securing a stable power delivery and affordable electrification of Africa. It was unraveled that cyber security, privacy and data protection are key issues in securing power system infrastructure. Personnel training, online reporting centres, biometric technologies and establishment of a national database were recommended in order leverage ICT for power delivery in Africa.