Panasonic HD and European Research Institute Fraunhofer Release Dataset for Cybersecurity Research in Renewable Energy Facilities

Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Panasonic HD), in collaboration with Germany's Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, has developed and released 'Data4Cyber,' an open dataset based on data collected in a realistic experimental environment that enables analysis of the impact of cyber-attacks on renewable energy systems. This dataset aims to support the analysis of cyber risks in power infrastructure and the development of detection and monitoring technologies, which are increasingly important due to the proliferation of renewable energy.

In recent years, the digitalization and networking of power systems have advanced due to the expanded adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar power and storage batteries. However, this has also increased risks from cyber-attacks due to the expanded use of remote control and communication technologies.

Historically, there have been few datasets that integrate communication data, control information, and physical data and provide them in a publicly available and reusable format.

Developed against this backdrop, 'Data4Cyber' is characterized by its ability to synchronize communication, control, and physical data on a one-second basis, allowing for a consistent analysis of how cyber-attacks affect the operation of power systems.

The dataset includes labels indicating the presence of attacks and the system's response over time, allowing for time-series tracking of how cyber-attacks impact physical systems.

Fraunhofer is a leading European organization for applied research. In this project, Fraunhofer FIT and Fraunhofer FKIE took the lead in building an experimental environment close to actual operations. Panasonic HD contributed by designing attack scenarios and modeling control behavior based on its practical knowledge of renewable energy control and energy management systems (EMS).

This dataset is expected to be used by power companies, equipment manufacturers, security firms, and research institutions to advance cyber-attack countermeasure technologies.

'Data4Cyber' is an integrated dataset obtained from a cyber-physical experimental environment simulating an Energy Management System (EMS). In addition to physical data such as power generation, load, battery status, and power flow, it synchronizes and collects communication data—including EMS control commands, power prices, Modbus/TCP (industrial equipment control communication), and MQTT (lightweight message communication)—on a one-second basis.

Each timestamp is marked with the presence of an attack and the attack phase (reconnaissance, intrusion, operation, impact), enabling detailed analysis of how communication anomalies affect power systems.

Furthermore, it includes representative scenarios such as spoofed equipment commands, tampered meter values, and fraudulent price signals, allowing users to track how attacks on the communication layer propagate to renewable energy facilities.

Public Information Publication format: Open Data (CC BY 4.0) Access link: https://zenodo.org/records/19965384

For information on security monitoring services for renewable energy, please refer to the following website: https://tech.panasonic.com/jp/phd/rd-theme/cyber-security.html

* Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a leading European organization for applied research based in Germany, with over 70 institutes promoting practical R&D through collaboration with industry.

In this project, Fraunhofer FIT (Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology) and Fraunhofer FKIE (Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics) took the lead in building a cyber-physical experimental environment close to actual operations, leveraging their advanced expertise in industrial control systems and cybersecurity.