Energy Department to Test Westinghouse’s I&C Systems for Cybersecurity Lapses

The Department of Energy will test one of Westinghouse Electric’s instrumentation and control systems for potential cyber flaws.

The collaboration between the DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response and Westinghouse Electric is part of the department’s Cyber Testing for Resilient Industrial Control and Systems program, which aims to test the cyber resilience of critical systems before they get exploited. Under CyTRICS, CESER connects equipment manufacturers, vendors and utilities with national laboratories, where their systems are tested using intelligence-informed analytics.

Under the program, the DOE wants to identify and eliminate systemic supply chain vulnerabilities and ultimately strengthen energy sector software and hardware offerings. CyTRICS was formed under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Energy Department said.

The DOE has included cybersecurity-related programs in its list of initiatives over recent months.

In late October, the DOE partnered with the University of Hawaii System on two cybersecurity events aimed at reducing damages caused by cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. During the CyberStrike: Lights Out and CyberStrike: Nemesis workshops, instructors offered hands-on exercises using information gathered from recent cyber intrusions.

DOE Chief Information Office Ann Dunkin also said the department is looking at enhancing its international collaboration efforts to improve cybersecurity, supply chain security and workforce development.