Troci (Towards Resilient Operation of Critical Infrastructure) is a new project that aims to protect the monitoring and control systems responsible for making operational decisions based on data from various sensors. The project recognizes the potential consequences of cyber attacks on these systems, as they can lead to the loss of crucial data or even result in decisions being made based on false information.
The researchers highlight that infrastructure systems can be targeted intentionally or by autonomous software that seeks out vulnerabilities. They reference Stuxnet, one of the first major cyberweapons, which was designed to attack control systems in Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities but ended up infecting other industrial and energy systems.
Dr Hafiz Ahmed, head of controls and instrumentation at the Nuclear AMRC, emphasizes the significance of protecting instrumentation and control systems of critical infrastructure. He states that cybersecurity infringements targeting these systems can disrupt our modern way of life, which heavily relies on continuous access to water and energy systems. He also acknowledges the additional cybersecurity challenges that arise from the digital transformation of the nuclear sector.
Troci researchers plan to take a multi-disciplinary approach by combining software and hardware solutions to enhance the resilience of critical systems. Their goal is to develop a hybrid solution that minimizes the number of sensors and amount of information while maintaining sufficient coverage. This solution aims to protect data from interference, reduce the risk of hardware failure, and increase software resilience through innovative sensor technologies, machine learning, and AI. The researchers will collaborate closely with industry users in the water and power sectors to ensure that the proposed solutions meet their specific requirements and challenges.
Dr Ahmed emphasizes that the solution should address real-time mitigation by developing new sensing systems, employing machine learning and AI for software resilience, and optimizing overall system performance without compromising security and privacy. The project consortium includes experts from the University of Vienna, University College Dublin, and Holisun, a Romanian software company specializing in machine learning and cybersecurity.
Funded by the international Chist-Era program of IT-related research, the Troci project is set to begin on March 1, 2024.