"Protecting Canada's Energy Infrastructure and Supply Chain From Cyber Attacks"
Dr. Sebastian Fischmeister, an engineering professor at the University of Waterloo, has been awarded federal funding in support of efforts to protect Canada's critical energy infrastructure and energy sector supply chains from cyberattacks. Dr. Fischmeister and his research team will use the grant to develop an advanced cybersecurity system that identifies threats to the supply chains serving the country's energy sector. The hardware and firmware integrity system will assess critical energy infrastructure equipment and systems for the presence of fraudulent or counterfeit components. In addition, engineers will look for new methods to protect this infrastructure from interference that could cause damage. The team will compare the strengths and limitations of the latest techniques for detecting cyberattacks on supply chains. They will then recommend ways to improve the cybersecurity of companies that rely on electronics containing components sourced outside their region. This article continues to discuss the team's research and development efforts aimed at protecting Canada's energy infrastructure and supply chain from cyber threats.