Energy gives cyber research $25M boost
As part of its expansion into cybersecurity, the Department of Energy has created a $25 million fund to back sector-specific research.
NOTE: This article first appeared on FCW.com.
The Energy Department committed to $25 million in funding opportunities for commercial-sector cybersecurity research, development and innovation for the energy sector, through its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
That office said it is making the $25 million funding opportunity announcement through its Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems program.
The solicitation targets contractors or potential providers to research, develop and demonstrate new cybersecurity capabilities for the sector.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has made tighter cybersecurity for energy sector infrastructure a priority. His fiscal 2019 budget looks to stand up a separate account for Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. He cited the need to "strengthen efforts to protect our critical energy infrastructure" in a statement announcing the funding.
The program is looking to tap private-sector technologies in five areas, including designing cyber resilient architectures for electric, oil and natural gas infrastructures, as well as overall cybersecurity for those subsectors.
It also wants work on "cybersecure" communications, secure cloud technologies that could be used in the sectors' operational environments, as well as overall innovative cybersecurity ideas for the sector.