Jinhui Wu, Fanghong Guo, Fuwen Yang, Changyun Wen, Mo–Yuen Chow, Francesca Boem
Developing efficient and reliable renewable energy sources (RESs) to reduce the exploitation of traditional power generation is essential for achieving net zero strategy (NZS) in a sustainable and affordable way. However, due to their nature, many RESs are geographically distributed; for instance, wind power stations are typically built along coastlines to harness sea wind energy, and photovoltaic power panels maybe distributed over residential buildings. This geographical distribution naturally leads to the term distributed energy resources (DERs). To efficiently utilize and coordinate DERs, the concept of networked microgrids (NMGs) has emerged. Compared to single microgrids (MGs), NMGs can make full use of DERs by enabling energy exchange and coordinated control among interconnected MGs. However, the interconnectedness also increases the complexity, uncertainty, and potential vulnerability of NMGs to faults and cyberattacks. This review aims at summarizing the latest effective methodologies to secure the distributed secondary control layer, focusing on the impact of attacks on controllers, sensors, and communication channels. Additionally, this article outlines future research directions that could enhance the reliability, resilience and flexibility of NMGs under cyberattacks, thereby guiding efforts to achieve a secure NZS.