BGN Technologies announced today in the Cybertech Global Tel-Aviv 2022 conference, the launch of the joint Israel-US consortium, ICRDE, in the field of cyber protection of energy facilities, for the purpose of promoting an R&D collaboration that will address cyberthreats on energy sources and facilities. Total investment is estimated to reach $12 million, including funds from the participating institutions, according to a press release.
The frequency and scale of cyberattacks on energy facilities is rising, and many countries are seeking new and efficient methods for protecting critical resources such as water, electricity and gas, as well as the facilities that produce, dispense and store energy.
According to a report of the World Economic Forum, published in 2020, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure facilities ranks 5th in terms of level and number of threats. Dr. Rami Puzis, Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, BGU, said:
“ICRDE aims to promote joint R&D for protection from energy-related cyberthreats and will encompass the following categories: establishing a database of cyber-physical system (CPS) attacks on energy facilities and simulation of these attacks in a controlled research environment; development of technology and advanced tools for monitoring and correlating the information technology (IT) and the operational technology (OT) layers of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to protect energy infrastructures from attacks.”
He added:
“Joint teams will develop, assess, and incorporate new technologies developed by the consortium members, transforming them into cybersecurity solutions for Israel and the US.”
This high threat level prompted the two governments to acknowledge the urgent need to invest resources to minimize the danger and the scope of potential damage. The climate crisis also highlights the need to recruit the most accomplished researchers to develop products and services to deal with the effects of climate change.
In order to protect energy facilities, the consortium will promote projects focusing on all manufacturing stages, as well as storage and energy distribution. The consortium provided a detailed work plan based on comprehensive research by American and Israeli researchers, and was also noted in the publication.
