In the year 2015, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) was set up to extenuate the risks associated with cyber attacks on the US Electrical Grids. Now, BAE Systems, a London-based multinational defense, security, and aerospace company has bagged a deal from DARPA to protect US Power Grids from Cyber Attacks.
In order to protect power stations located in the United States, DARPA decided to award BAE Systems a contract under which it has to offer Rapid Attack Detection, Isolation and Characterization Systems (RADICS) to develop technology that can restore quick power to the US Electrical grids following a fatal cyber attack.
DARPA chose BAE systems based on the following 3 positive technical abilities-
1st Technical Area- Discover anomalies and work to forbid cyber attacks
2nd Technical Area- Dealing the cyber attack situation with forensic abilities and cleaning up the network.
3rd Technical Area- Launch test based cyber attacks which can help isolate infected portions of the network and then set-up a secure emergency network to supply a cyclical means of communication to other centers of the power grid.
Victor Firoiu, Senior Principal Engineer, and Manager of Communications and Networking, BAE said that his company is elated to bag the prestigious project of protecting US power grids from Cyber attacks and thanked DARPA for awarding the project in BAE’s favor.
He also took the opportunity to highlight one of his company’s ability to not just isolate the infected portions of the network, but also to detect and disconnect unauthorized connections.
Under the common models, DARPA’s RADICS program fits within the model of deterrence by denial and BAE Systems is well capable of offering said solutions which are not only resilient but also secure to make attacks futile.
Hacks on electrical grids and other critical infrastructure are now becoming regular affairs to some state-sponsored actors. And so, the Government of United States has decided to offer the privilege of protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure to a proven company who has the ability to protect its client’s infrastructure from all kinds of cyber-threats.
And so, DARPA has handed over the prestigious project to Britain-based BAE Systems which from now on will serve as a maintenance, consultancy, and training company in defense electronics to US Power Grids.
