EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has received a $500,000 grant to support “pioneering” technology that uses artificial intelligence to strengthen cybersecurity for nuclear power plants.
The grant, awarded by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was designed to meet the “most pressing challenges” of cybersecurity with nuclear power plants, according to the news release by UTEP.
“Cybersecurity has become one of the most pressing challenges in energy and national security,” said Sajedul Talukder, Ph.D, a UTEP assistant professor of computer science and project co-principal investigator. “With nuclear plants increasingly reliant on digital systems and automation, they face new risks from sophisticated cyberattacks.”
“For UTEP, this award places the University among an elite group of institutions helping to define the future of nuclear security and highlights our growing contribution to solving one of the nation’s toughest problems,” said Ken Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering. “This also reinforces UTEP’s reputation as a leader in research areas that sit at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and national security.”
Talukder and Syed Bahauddin Alam, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), are leading the project.
“The UTEP-UIUC project is built around three major innovations that, together, could reshape how nuclear plants are defended against cyber threats,” Talukder said.
The first innovation is a new way of structuring plant networks, in which each device and system would be individually protected. The new system will create layers of security that would make it harder for hackers to infiltrate, rather than relying on a “one big perimeter defense.”
Another innovation that would be utilized in cybersecurity is an AI-powered monitoring system that works in real-time to spot unusual activity and responds before harm can be done. The news release describes this innovation as a digital security guard.
Lastly, the final innovation is a virtual testing ground where the research team can safely simulate attacks, test defenses and confirm the system remains resilient.
According to UTEP, the three-year project will create new opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience with advanced AI research.
“Together, these innovations shift nuclear cybersecurity from being reactive — waiting for attacks to happen — to being proactive,” said Talukder. “It’s an intelligent shield that adapts and evolves as quickly as the threats themselves.”
Read: Read More