An implementation of secured Smart Grid Ethernet communications using AES

Smart Grid (SG) is a brand new architecture for the next generation´s power grid system. Delivering control, monitoring and management data to grid elements securely in the network is a basic requirement for SG. This paper proposes 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as a security solution for SG network terminals. A pair of prototyping nodes is also implemented via Altera´s DE2 boards´ Nios II architecture. The two-node system works properly with AES encryption/decryption functions. It suggests a potential solution for SG security.