Professor Hamed Mohsenian-Rad (PI) was awarded $3,748,698 for project entitled “UC-Lab Center for Electricity Distribution Cybersecurity” from the UC Lab Research Program. Over the next three years Dr. Mohsenian-Rad will be collaborating with Dr. Chengyu Song (UCR), Dr. Fabio Pasqaletti (UCR), Dr. Keyue Smedley (UCI), Dr. Rajit Gadh (UCLA), Dr. Mahnoosh Alizadeh (UCSB), Dr. Emma Stewart (LLNL), and Dr. Sean Peisert (LBNL). The members in this multi-disciplinary research center offer expertise on electric power systems, distributed generation, communication systems, and cybersecurity.
The cybersecurity of the electric grid is different from the typical practice of cybersecurity in the IT sector. Unlike in a typical IT network, temporary failures cannot be tolerated in the electricity infrastructure. Further, due to the inter-connected nature of the electric grid, an attack against one sector of the grid can create ripple effects, affecting other sectors of the grid and even affecting other infrastructures, such as telecommunications. Recovery can be a long and extremely costly process. Moreover, electricity can be dangerous.
This research center will address a highly unexplored research area even within the field of electric grid cybersecurity. In fact, traditional studies of electricity infrastructure cybersecurity focus on large power plants and control centers. In contrast, the cybersecurity of the electricity distribution system is still an open problem because the distribution grid was simple and passive until recently. Not only do we lack effective cybersecurity solutions, but we also do not have a solid understanding of the cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as new technologies are being adopted. This center was established by a fund from UCOP