An XGBoost-Based Vulnerability Analysis of Smart Grid Cascading Failures under Topology Attacks

In interconnected industrial control networks like smart grids, topology attacks on physical grids can lead to severe cascading failures and large-scale blackouts. Effective defense on vulnerable devices can significantly reduce the risk of cascading failures and improve overall system robustness. In this paper, we investigate the vulnerability analysis problem from a graph theoretical classification perspective. By calculating a node vulnerability vector composed of features based on complex network theory, node embedding, extended betweenness and power flow distribution, we propose a node vulnerability analysis method based on XGBoost classifier. A cascading failure simulation model based on DC power flow is used to simulate the smart grid behaviours under topology attacks and create the dataset for the XGBoost classifier. The effectiveness of the proposed XGBoost-based method with newly-introduced features is demonstrated by case studies.