蒙特利尔的全球设计巨头SNC-Lavalin Inc.和领先的加拿大网络安全研究员卡尔顿大学已经签署了一项新的研发交易，以阻止试图破解电网。该协议使该公司的全球电力工作包括开发和运营的发电厂和传输局分布系统，能够在Carleton Lab Space中测试校园内研究支持的网格保护创新。渥太华大学是加拿大唯一一家提供通信工程计划的计划，其全球网络安全资源计划是由10个国家 /地区14个大学和技术孵化器成立的全球网络的创始领导者，以增强网络安全知识。

The R&D effort with SNC-Lavalin will focus on IT network safety and keeping hackers from exploiting power-grid internet connectivity to cause disruptions, said Fred Afagh, Carleton interim dean of engineering and design. It comes amid rising concern about grid vulnerability in both Canada and the U.S. Canadian authorities raised alarms in 2016 over 25 attempts by hackers working on behalf of other nations to infiltrate the nation’s infrastructure, including its power grid. The FBI and the Dept. of Homeland Security released a joint alert last month that “Russian government cyber actors” were aggressively targeting power plants and other infrastructure, gaining access to controls at one power generator.

The new venture will explore grid protections, including metering systems that measure how much power individual households or businesses are using and report it back to the power company, Afagh said. In recent years, millions of smart meters have been deployed in Canada. “The power distribution network is one of the most major concerns because of the autonomy introduced into [its] infrastructure,” he said. “It is a daunting problem. We like to solve daunting problems.” He said SNC-Lavalin will supply components to simulate “the exact problems outside within the lab environment,” with work to start in September.