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Cybersecurity 101 for Critical Infrastructures: A Hands-on Approach

Thursday, September 17, 2020 (Central Time) — 12:30PM - 1:45PM

Critical infrastructures, the systems that enable electricity to be generated and distributed for example, or those that ensure our water is purified using the correct mixture of chemicals, or the many systems that afford us automation on platforms like our Navy ships, have been a backbone of our society for many years now. Today though, their cybersecurity posture is more important than ever before. There have been multiple cases in recent years of how cybersecurity vulnerabilities in these types of systems have caused major physical damage (Ukraine 2015 power grid cyber attack). The problem is that traditional cybersecurity doesn’t quite apply to these critical infrastructure systems. They were never intended to be secured, as they were not designed to be connected to the open internet. As such, traditional cyber security approaches can often times harm such systems. Through hands-on exercises and realistic demonstration equipment (small motors, actuators, and other mechanical components) the workshop organizers will provide a comprehensive understanding of how to baseline and secure these systems. In addition, the workshop will expose participants to cybersecurity 101 topics as well as emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary efforts like cybersecurity and energy systems. This topic is of great importance to the US Navy, and the workshop organizers have developed a hands-on curriculum to help students appreciate critical infrastructures and develop skills necessary to secure them. Lastly, the organizer is a Tapia alumnus, who, along with his team, believe in making cybersecurity no only relevant, but fun!

Workshop Organizers:
Jose Romero-Mariona, Francisco Tacliad, Anthony Shaw, Angelica Sippel