Developing Technology to Speed Electric Power Restoration After Cyber Attacks
March 14, 2017 | BAE SystemsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems an $8.6 million contract to develop technology designed to quickly restore power to the U.S. electric grid after a catastrophic failure caused by a cyber attack.
As part of DARPA’s Rapid Attack Detection, Isolation, and Characterization Systems (RADICS) program, BAE Systems’ technology quickly isolates both enterprise IT and power infrastructure networks from all conduits of malicious attack. The technology also establishes a Secure Emergency Network (SEN) among trusted organizations, enabling the coordination necessary to restore power to the complex electric grid.
“Getting the power back on quickly after a cyber attack is critical to national defense,” said Victor Firoiu, senior principal engineer and manager of Communications and Networking at BAE Systems. “Given the scale and complexity of the U.S. power grid, and the chaos following a coordinated, large-scale attack, this is no easy task. Our work with DARPA is intended to stop ongoing attacks and minimize downtime.”
Once activated, BAE Systems’ technology detects and disconnects unauthorized internal and external users from local networks within minutes, and creates a robust, hybrid network of data links secured by multiple layers of encryption and user authentication. The systems rely on advances in network traffic control and analysis that will enable utilities to establish and maintain emergency communications. They also establish the SEN using advances in broadcast, satellite, and wireless technologies developed for agile communications in contested environments.
BAE Systems’ RADICS technology is designed to operate in the absence of prior coordination among affected organizations and regardless of power availability, Internet connectivity, disparate IT networks and grid infrastructure technology, situational awareness, and ongoing disruption efforts by adversaries.
Work on the RADICS project will be performed in Burlington, Massachusetts; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and Arlington, Virginia.
Suggested Items
Micross, Sital Announce Global Manufacturing & Distribution Partnership
05/07/2024 | Micross Components, Inc.Micross Components, Inc., a leading global provider of mission-critical microelectronic components and services for high-reliability aerospace, defense, space and industrial applications, is pleased to announce our exclusive partnership with Sital Technology (sitaltech.com), the leader in MIL-STD-1553 IP cores, specializing in integrated FPGA solutions.
Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Innovative Lamination Technology
05/07/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOKevin Barrett of Insulectro and Victor Lazaro of Indubond discuss their companies' partnership, focusing on Indubond's innovative lamination technology that uses induction heating. They discuss the advantages of this technology over traditional methods, its benefits to customers, and the crucial role of automation in manufacturing.
Indium Corporation to Showcase HIA Materials at ECTC
05/07/2024 | Indium CorporationAs an industry leader in innovative materials solutions for semiconductor packaging and assembly, Indium Corporation® will feature its advanced products designed to meet the evolving challenges of heterogeneous integration and assembly (HIA) and fine-pitch system-in-package (SiP) applications at the 74th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), May 28‒31, in Denver, Colorado.
IDTechEx Discusses Low-Loss Materials: The Enabler of Future Connected Vehicles?
05/06/2024 | IDTechExFuture connected vehicles will offer future drivers a safer, smoother, and more convenient driving experience. Not only will drivers get access to more navigation and entertainment options, but they will also gain access to safety technologies that will potentially reduce accidents, improve congestion, and reduce emissions globally by allowing vehicle safety systems to communicate with each other and with city traffic infrastructure.
BrainChip, Frontgrade Gaisler to Augment Space-Grade Microprocessors with AI Capabilities
05/06/2024 | BUSINESS WIREBrainChip Holdings Ltd, the world’s first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, event-based, neuromorphic AI IP, and Frontgrade Gaisler, a leading provider of space-grade system-on-chip solutions, announce their collaboration to explore the integration of BrainChip’s AkidaTM neuromorphic processor into Frontgrade Gaisler’s next generation fault-tolerant, radiation-hardened microprocessors.