Enhancing smart grid security in smart cities: A review of traditional approaches and emerging technologies

Smart grids represent a significant evolution in urban infrastructures, offering optimized energy management and services. These infrastructures are particularly vulnerable to security challenges, disrupting their operation and compromising reliability. These challenges include increasing cyber threats and specific vulnerabilities related to interconnected systems such as SCADA technologies, the Internet of Things (IoT), and energy management systems, ranging from ransomware and phishing to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, exposing these networks to significant risks. For this reason, this study follows a structured methodology based on a systematic review of the scientific literature and an in-depth analysis of current approaches to secure electric grid systems in smart cities. These steps consist of selecting relevant articles, examining recent trends in research, and analyzing security solutions. It explores traditional methods, including firewalls, cryptography, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and edge computing, to find more effective solutions tailored to today’s cybersecurity challenges. Also, quantitative and qualitative analyses of the performance of these approaches are accompanied by a comparative study of their impact on the overall security of smart grids. The results highlight the opportunities for combining traditional and emerging approaches to enhance the security of power grids. Finally, the study proposes concrete recommendations for improving their resilience and addressing future research, including integrating advanced security technologies and risk management while promoting secure energy infrastructure.