On December 8th, 2022, the Clean Energy Cybersecurity AcceleratorTM (CECA) selected its first cohort of solution providers, including Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Binary Armor cybersecurity solution. CECA recently began assessment of technologies that offer strong authentication solutions for distributed energy resources. SNC will take part in a six-month acceleration period, where solutions will be evaluated in the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) cyber range.
Working with its partners, CECA identifies urgent security gaps, supporting emerging technologies as they build security into new technologies at the earliest stage—when security is most effective and efficient. The initiative is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) as well as utility industry partners in collaboration with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
“Every day, we see cybersecurity threats to our nation’s operational technology and critical infrastructure continue to evolve and become more dangerous,” said Andrew MacDonald, director of SNC’s Cyber Programs. “Our team of experienced engineers and innovators is excited to be a part of the CECA program and to show how Binary Armor is tailor made to meet the challenges posed by this growing threat – to keep the lights on, the water flowing and our communities moving forward.”
SNC’s Binary Armor is an in-line cybersecurity edge solution that protects valuable control systems and infrastructure from complex cyber threats. By allowing only preapproved, known, safe messages to reach operational technology, Binary Armor protects against targeted threats and human error, and enforces workflow to reduce the likelihood of equipment damage and personnel injury.
Binary Armor has been tested and validated by both U.S. Department of Defense and industry labs, with continuous operation since 2014 on utility supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
“We are thrilled to welcome and work with the first participants to the secure energy transformation,” Jon White, director of NREL’s Cybersecurity Program Office, said. “These cyber solution providers will work with NREL, using its world-class capabilities, to develop their ideas into real-world solutions. We are ready to build security into technologies at the early development stages when most effective and efficient.”
Three major U.S. utilities, with more expected to join, are partners with CECA: Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Duke Energy and Xcel Energy. At the end of each cohort cycle, cyber innovators present solutions to the utilities with the goal of making an immediate impact.
Additionally, CECA participants benefit from access to NREL’s unique testing and evaluation capabilities, including its ARIES cyber range, developed with support from EERE. The ARIES cyber range provides one of the most advanced simulation environments with unparalleled real-time situational awareness and visualization to evaluate renewable energy system defenses.
About the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA)
The Clean Energy Cybersecurity AcceleratorTM (CECA) advances cyber innovation to defend modern, renewable energy technologies against high-priority cybersecurity risks to the energy sector and expedites disruptive solutions to market. Visit the NREL CECA web page to learn more.