{"266361":{"#nid":"266361","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Department of Energy Awards Contract to Detect Cyber Attacks on Utilities","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s cyber attacks aren\u2019t just a threat to computer networks. Those with malicious intent can disrupt important infrastructure systems such as utilities and power grids.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe trick is to identify when such attacks are underway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Energy has awarded the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI) $1.7 million to help detect cyber attacks on our nation\u2019s utility companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy partnering with the Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u2019s\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.neetrac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENational Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center\u003C\/a\u003E (NEETRAC) and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), GTRI will work together with experts in smart grid technology to develop protocols and tools to detect such attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUtilities and energy delivery systems are unique in several ways,\u201d said GTRI researcher Seth Walters, one of the principal investigators on the project. \u201cThey provide distribution over a large geographic area and are composed of disparate components which must work together as the system\u2019s operating state evolves. Relevant security technologies need to work within the bandwidth limitations of these systems in order to see broad adoption and they need to account for the varying security profiles of the components within these power systems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo detect adversarial manipulation of the power grid, the cyber security tool suite will consist of advanced modeling and simulation technologies and a network of advanced security sensors capable of acting to protect the power system in real-time on the basis of this modeling and simulation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than attempting to identify the source of an attack, the system will evaluate the content of information sent to the power system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is impossible to predict what a clever cyber attacker can devise in the future,\u201d said A.P. \u201cSakis\u201d Meliopoulos, a Georgia Power Distinguished Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), who is part of the team. \u201cA command to the control and operation infrastructure of the system can be evaluated on the basis of its content and the effect on the power system.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system will build on past Georgia Tech research into the monitoring, protection, control and operation of electric power utilities and their automation infrastructure, as well as work on information security. Georgia Tech\u2019s power system control and automation laboratory will be used to develop methods to detect intrusion and malicious commands before the system is field demonstrated in an actual utility environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis project is particularly exciting as it integrates GTRI\u2019s cyber security expertise, with the expertise in grid and electrical power of NEETRAC and ECE,\u201d said SEI Executive Director Tim Lieuwen. \u201cA key piece of our energy strategy is promoting certain signature energy areas where Georgia Tech combines unique breadth and depth into best of class capabilities \u2013 the area of electrical power is one of those, and this project further demonstrates Georgia Tech\u2019s commitment to this space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project will consist of three phases, which include research and development, test and validation at Georgia Tech, and technology demonstration at operational utility sites with the assistance of multiple utility company partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGTRI\u2019s expertise in systems engineering and cyber security will be a great advantage for execution on this award,\u201d Walters said. \u201cWe also have the singular advantage in being able to collaborate with professors from Georgia Tech. The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering was instrumental in bringing emerging research ideas to the proposal narrative.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGTRI worked with Meliopoulos, ECE Associate Professor Santiago Grijalva and NEETRAC engineer Carson Day, who are experts in power grid and smart grid technology, and Raheem Beyah, an ECE associate professor and an expert in cyber security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy group, the Communications Assurance\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Performance [CAP] Group, will work with GTRI researchers to develop, test and deploy a\u0026nbsp;context-aware\u0026nbsp;network-based intrusion detection system [NIDS],\u201d Beyah said. \u201cWorking with a power grid simulator, the NIDS will have the ability to prevent network packets containing application-layer commands that\u0026nbsp;render the power grid unstable from entering the network.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Power Distinguished Professor and SEI Associate Director, Grijalva will integrate a cyber-power co-simulator where numerous cyber-attack mechanisms can be simulated, including their effects in the physical power infrastructure. He will also develop real-time decision-making algorithms that evaluate the impact of potential cyber-induced power infrastructure malfunction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe proposed cybersecurity system is complex, so a disciplined approach to delivering a system of systems which embodies this complexity will be required,\u201d Walters said. \u201cFurthermore, as part of research and development, we will be working to ensure that the tool suite, as conceptualized by the team, remains relevant to current and emerging industry needs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew Howard, who heads GTRI\u2019s research on emerging threats and countermeasures, noted that this is a unique part of this proposal. \u201cThis proposal isn\u2019t just about the research,\u201d Howard said. \u201cIn addition to the extensive modeling and simulation, it\u2019s also about developing a commercialization plan for other utilities to benefit.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research described in this news release is supported by the Department of Energy under contract number DE-OE0000673. Any findings or opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u0026nbsp; 30332-0181\u0026nbsp; USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Lance Wallace (404-407-7280) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elance.wallace@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Robert Nesmith\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s cyber attacks aren\u2019t just a threat to computer networks. Those with malicious intent can disrupt important infrastructure systems such as utilities and power grids. To help combat this threat, the Department of Energy has awarded Georgia Tech $1.7 million to help detect cyber attacks on our nation\u2019s utility companies.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has been awarded $1.7 million to help detect cyber attacks on utility companies."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2014-01-13 13:32:51","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:15:40","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2014-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2014-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"266331":{"id":"266331","type":"image","title":"Detecting Cyber Attacks","body":null,"created":"1449244039","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:47:19","changed":"1475894953","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:13","alt":"Detecting Cyber Attacks","file":{"fid":"198525","name":"doe4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2564144,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/doe4_0.jpg?itok=KKoFkc4Y"}},"266341":{"id":"266341","type":"image","title":"Detecting Cyber Attacks2","body":null,"created":"1449244039","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:47:19","changed":"1475894953","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:13","alt":"Detecting Cyber Attacks2","file":{"fid":"198526","name":"doe12.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe12_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe12_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2292489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/doe12_0.jpg?itok=gfhWMxgl"}},"266351":{"id":"266351","type":"image","title":"Detecting Cyber Attacks3","body":null,"created":"1449244039","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 15:47:19","changed":"1475894953","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:49:13","alt":"Detecting Cyber Attacks3","file":{"fid":"198527","name":"doe19.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe19_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/doe19_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2818296,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/doe19_0.jpg?itok=_r6PBOjI"}}},"media_ids":["266331","266341","266351"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"2678","name":"information security"},{"id":"405","name":"NEETRAC"},{"id":"166855","name":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"id":"167055","name":"security"},{"id":"167358","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"83491","name":"utilities"},{"id":"83501","name":"utility companies"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch News\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(404) 894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}