DARPA awards BAE Systems contract to develop cyber attack recovery technology for electric grid
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded BAE Systems an $8.6 million contract this week to develop technology to speed the restoration of power to the electrical grid after a
cyber attack.
BAE System’s technology, once activated as part of DARPA’s Rapid Attack Detection, Isolation, and Characterization Systems (RADICS) program, will rapidly insulate power infrastructure and enterprise IT networks from channels of attack and identify and disconnect unauthorized users.
It will also set up a Secure Emergency Network (SEN) among trusted organizations to allow for the coordination needed to restore power to the grid and construct a hybrid network of data links safeguarded by various layers of encryption and user authentication. The technology is designed to work without prior coordination between affected groups and regardless of power availability.
“Getting the power back on quickly after a cyber attack is critical to national defense,” Victor Firoiu, senior principal engineer and manager of Communications and Networking at BAE Systems, said. “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.”
BAE systems will conduct work on the RADICS project at facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and Arlington, Virginia.
