Smart grid systems (SGSs) become a requirement to improve efficiency and reliability of the power generation, transmission, and particularly distribution systems. In order to maintain power networks with high performance as well as reducing operational cost, utility companies need to implement SGSs into their networks. Many smart grid initiatives leverage an increased dependency of information and communication technologies (ICT) to integrate more accurate physical parameter measurements and intelligent controller devices to the systems. It is well known that advancement in ICT provides easier and fast communication capabilities to SGSs to keep different components in power systems connected. However, the increased ICT dependency also introduces additional security risks for utility networks using SGSs resulting from poor system configurations, poor network design and vulnerabilities in software and operating platforms, lack of security policies and standards. Big Data Analytics also provides new perceptions and solutions to SGSs. This special session aims to bring together researchers and developers from academia, industry and governmental institution to share and exchange novel ideas, expectations, concerns and solutions, explore the inherent challenges in developing more secure SGSs with the current solutions and dig data analytics and share current experiences.