| NSF Org: |
ECCS Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 25, 2012 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 3, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1202229 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Radhakisan Baheti
ECCS Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2012 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2015 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $200,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $200,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2013 = $68,701.00 FY 2014 = $41,670.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
240 FRENCH ADMINISTRATION BLDG PULLMAN WA US 99164-0001 (509)335-9661 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
PO BOX 492752 Pullman WA US 99164-2752 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | EPCN-Energy-Power-Ctrl-Netwrks |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001314DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
The modern electric grid is a cyber-physical system that increasingly depends on a variety of sensors, control systems, and communication networks for the purpose of monitoring, protection, and control. The increased attack surface presented by the cyber components provides adversaries with ample opportunities to perform coordinated cyber attacks on the power grid. These attacks have been recognized as High-Impact Low-Frequency events by the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC). The attacks when smartly structured, can significantly affect the power infrastructure?s security and adequacy.
This project will develop a comprehensive cyber security framework, with associated algorithms and analytical methods, to protect the power grid against coordinated cyber attacks. This includes: (i) the development of innovative risk models that capture cyber vulnerabilities as well as the resulting consequences in the grid, due to successful attacks, in terms of and system adequacy and instability; (ii) the development of novel system resiliency algorithms leveraging synergy between domain-specific anomaly detection and power system mitigation strategies; (iii) testbed-based security evaluations to quantify the risks and evaluate the effectiveness of resiliency algorithms under plausible and sophisticated attack scenarios. The outcome of this research will significantly advance power system planning to design the future grid beyond the traditional (N-1) contingency criteria, which requires resiliency with the loss of any single component. The results will also lay a solid scientific foundation to model, analyze, and mitigate coordinated cyber attacks against critical infrastructure systems. The project will develop a novel curriculum that includes offering a new course in cyber security of smart grid and engaging undergraduate students, with emphasis on underrepresented minorities, in testbed design and cyber-defense competition. The outreach activities will include promoting cyber security research and education in professional conferences and exposing students to cyber security issues by leveraging university outreach program. This project outcome will make broader impacts in securing nation?s power grid against cyber attacks and contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce in this critical area of national need.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The 3-year NSF grant for Washington State University (WSU), in collaboration with Iowa State University, has a duration from September 2012-August 2015. A student, Junho Hong, completed his Ph.D. in August 2014 and joined the ABB company in North Carolina. Another Ph.D. student, Ryan Chih-Che Sun, is progressing well in his Ph.D. program.
Intellectual Merit: New methods for detection of anomalies at power substations have been developed. Two technical papers have been accepted and published, one in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and the other in International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems. A chapter is included in the book, "Cyber Physical Systems Approach to Smart Electric Power Grid," published by Springer in 2015. The intellectual contributions of the research are new analytical and computational techniques for defense of the power grids against cyber intrusions. This is achieved by an anomaly detection software tool intended for deployment in substations of the power grids. The result of this NSF grant paves the way for future extensions to a comprehensive strategy for detection of cyber intrusions in the cyber-power system.
Broader Impacts: The work has received a high level of visibility through a number of invited sessions at major conferences, NSF Workshops, and presentations at the peer institutions. These activities are critical in raising the awareness of substation cyber security. A software testbed for evaluation of substation cyber security has been established at WSU. The WSU testbed is a well-received technology for outreach activities to government and industry visitors as well as high school and community college faculty and students. An under-represented minority student from Heritage University, WA, is inspired to start his graduate program at WSU in 2016. This grant is an important contributing factor for WSU's abilty to attract software donation from Alstom Grid and significant funding from the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust for a broadened scope incorporating smart meters and new automation capabilities. The new testbed is a highly valuable asset for research and education by faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students.
Last Modified: 12/16/2015
Modified by: Chen-Ching Liu
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