Cybercrime, Endpoint Security, Fraud Management & Cybercrime
Department of Energy invests in next generation cyber talent to find new solutions
Chris Liotta (@Chris Liotta) •
April 4, 2024
Nation-state attackers are actively targeting U.S. energy companies, power generation, and distribution systems, but most of these utilities are facing challenges as they rush to adopt the latest digital technologies. They are dealing with outdated infrastructure and a lack of skilled workers to ensure the security of their operational technology. To protect the energy sector, the federal government is counting on the next generation of engineers, cybersecurity experts, and policymakers to spearhead innovative solutions.
Related item: Protect your OnDemand I ICS environment from ransomware
The Department of Energy has announced a series of recent investments in research, development and demonstration projects at academic institutions across the country to strengthen the sector's protection from cyber threats. The company also announced a $15 million grant in March to establish six university-based power cybersecurity centers to foster collaboration across the energy sector and address gaps in energy security research, according to the announcement. Subsidies were issued.
The University of Pittsburgh is one of the schools selected by DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Preparedness to receive a $2.2 million grant for energy security research. The university, which is home to the nation's second-largest natural gas producer and nuclear power plant, used the funds to launch a cyber energy center that will serve as an ecosystem of industry-academia collaboration.
The center and its research are uniquely focused in part on the security of operational technologies across the energy sector and in critical infrastructure environments, said Daniel Cole, associate professor and director of the Cyber Energy Division at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering. It is said that he is guessing. center.
“Two of the challenges we have in the OT space are aging infrastructure…and the fact that the industry cannot afford downtime,” said Cole. He added that in the energy sector, most facilities are in continuous operation, which can make it difficult to update and maintain systems.
Experts say the energy sector currently lacks the tools and resources to properly scan OT networks for cyber intrusions and malicious activity. With rapid modernization and increasing interconnectivity of IT networks, this sector is becoming a target for hackers due to the lack of adequate security measures to prevent attacks.
The DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) said the investment in the university-based cyber center “will support research to find solutions to reduce the risk of power outages due to cyber incidents in the energy system.” We will provide funding.” ”, among other efforts aimed at strengthening the cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. These centers will also be tasked with hosting cybersecurity education programs for the next generation of cyber professionals.
CESER Director Puesh Kumar said in a statement that the investment in the university-based cyber center will allow the DOE to “develop America's cyber talent while providing the necessary resources to counter evolving cyber threats to our nation's energy system.” “Building expertise” will be possible, he said.
“America's competitive advantage has always depended on cutting-edge research and a highly skilled workforce,” the statement said, adding that the research projects would advance “our economy and national security.”
NCC Group's 2024 Cyber Threat Intelligence Report focuses on threats to operational technology in the energy sector, finding significant challenges around increased digitization, supply chain risks, and state-sponsored threat actors.
The report states that Russian hackers and other cybercriminals are “developing OT capabilities to target critical infrastructure,” including the energy sector. “Such developments appear to emerge in response to major geopolitical conflicts,” the report says.
One of the University of Pittsburgh's Cyber Energy Center's first studies uses digital models to assess the effectiveness of specific cybersecurity measures against attacks in the energy sector and how they might occur in real-world scenarios. It is to assess the impact of various cyber incidents. The center is also tasked with assembling diverse project partners to support research focused on “existing gaps in cybersecurity research,” according to the DOE.
In many ways, the University of Pittsburgh was a good place for DOE to potentially invest in next-generation energy cybersecurity solutions. The school says on its website that it has a “portfolio of information and operations technology expertise” across a variety of programs, including the Energy Grid Institute, the Law Policy and Security Institute, the School of Computing and Information Studies, and now the Cyber Graduate School. I'm proud that I have one. energy center.
New cyber centers across the country will conduct a wide range of security research related to the energy sector, the DOE said. Texas Tech University's Center for Cyber-Physical Security will focus on developing frameworks to address the incremental steps from detection to recovery from cyberattacks. The Midwest Microgrid Cybersecurity Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology will address in part how system operators can contribute to efficient cyberattack detection and response. The Iowa State University Cybersecurity and Resilience Center will focus on improving the security and resiliency of the electrical grid for microgrids and distributed energy resources.
The University of Pittsburgh's Cyber Center brings together approximately 30 industry partners across operational technology, energy and security companies, and workforce development organizations, which is an important element of future research, Cole said of Information Security. told Media Group.
“This is one of those problems that sits at an interesting intersection of different fields,” Cole said. “We have a lot of industry partners that fit different parts of that puzzle.”
