Protecting Critical Electrical Infrastructure With A Community Cyber Force
Cyber security has become a critical priority for the electric sector, which is increasingly dependent on information technology and telecommunication infrastructure to ensure the reliability, safety, and security of the electric grid. Increasing threats from criminal and nation-state actors reinforce the growing need for collaboration, communication, and a whole-of-community approach to defending and responding to cyber incidents impacting critical electric infrastructure (CEI) through formalized information sharing partnerships and standards.
Maintaining an effective cyber posture requires a coordinated virtual cyber terrain map and actionable specifications that are continuously maintained, updated, and rapidly available throughout the enterprise. In the realm of power distribution and utility control system cybersecurity, actionable information has become large, multi-dimensional, specialized, and massively distributed. New software is now required to manage infrastructure maps.
UMass Lowell will discuss research related to a community cyber support facility near Hanscom AFB that supports the Northeast region during critical infrastructure cyber incidents.
Speaker Bio
Alex Brickner is currently the Director of Small Business Innovation Research Programs for the UMLARC. Prior to joining UMLARC Brickner founded a technology company that won over $18M in contracts to facilitate information sharing between the Air Force mission support stakeholders and public safety agencies. At UMLARC Brickner successfully led efforts to develop a community cyber support facility through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program. Brickner also serves on the Federal Outreach and Advisory Committee within the Association of Defense Communities and is leading efforts to educate communities on protecting critical electric infrastructure.