"Using Physics to Keep Our Electrical Grid Safe"

Computer security expert, Sean Peisert, and a team of researchers at Berkeley Lab are working to improve the security of the electrical grid, vehicles, manufacturing plants, and other cyberphysical systems in which physical components are merged with computing and networking. The researchers have worked with utilities and utility equipment companies on projects aimed at using the physical components of electrical grids and the physical laws that govern their function to prevent cyberattacks targeting the grids. In an interview, Peisert talked about the difference between a cyberphysical system and a computing system without a physical component, how the team uses the laws of physics to secure the electrical grid against cyberattacks, and the application of this approach to other types of computer-controlled physical systems. This article continues to discuss the team's approach to securing the electrical grid and the application of this approach beyond power grids.

Berkeley Lab reports "Using Physics to Keep Our Electrical Grid Safe"