Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid

S&T and the Department of Energy jointly funded the Trustworthy Cyber Infrastructure for the Power Grid (TCIPG) effort to address the challenge of protecting the nation’s power grid by significantly improving the way the infrastructure is built, making it more secure, reliable, and safe.

The Nation’s electric power infrastructure, which depends on the health of an underlying computing and communication network, is at serious risk from both malicious cyber attacks and accidental failures. These risks may come from cyber hackers who gain access to control networks or create denial of service attacks on the networks themselves, or from accidental causes, such as natural disasters or operator errors.

Approach

This research focuses on securing the low-level devices, communications, and data systems that comprise the power grid, to ensure trustworthy operation during normal conditions, cyber-attacks, and/or power emergencies.

Collaboration

The TCIPG effort works closely with industry to ensure solutions are meeting the needs of the end user. University researchers and more than 35 power industry entities are participating to develop and evaluate technologies needed for realizing secure Smart Grid applications, such as wide-area monitoring and control, demand response with controllable load, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

The TCIPG project is important to DHS S&T because it is developing technology solutions for the Smart Grid that already has security built in, and prevents vulnerabilities that could have severe economic, environmental, and public safety consequences.

You can learn more about TCIPG research efforts and outreach engagements at http://tcipg.org/.