US Energy Department to Invest in Blockchain Technology as New Security Measure

blockchain

The U.S. Department of Energy is exploring blockchain technology as a new defence measure against cyberattacks in phase two of a nationwide project to upgrade power plant security.

Blockchain is a system that allows transactions to be made in cryptocurrency, maintained across several computers or servers. By decentralisation the cybersecurity concerns and only being linked to a peer – peer network. Blockchain technology makes it much harder to hack into than standard cyber security measures.

It was announced recently by the department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) that development in the electric grid security project will focus on decentralised cybersecurity. Startup company Taekion, specialising in this field has been granted $1 million last year in R&D incentives and now will be focusing on researching how blockchain technology can be implemented as a new line of defence.

The NETL said: “The applications being developed in the NETL-managed project have the potential to thwart such attacks by preventing hackers from altering the plant’s operational information.”

A cyberattack on a power plant in Ukraine in 2016 has shown. The severity of such attacks as it resulted in power outages around the country. Such technology to prevent attacks like this are still in the early stages of development. Projects funded by the Department exploring this technology is funded by the department’s Small Business Innovation Research program.

This is not the first time the NETL has invested in research to explore the potential of blockchain energy for technological improvements in the security between power plants and grids within the nation. In 2017, they partnered with another technological company to explore using blockchain in higher security between transactions.

It has also been announced universities will receive fundings of up to $4.8 million for working on R&D blockchain projects.

An Unmanned Future: Austin-based SparkCognition creates UTM solutions

plane

If you have ever wondered about (or even feared) how unmanned airplanes, air taxis and drones will not crash into each other when on a flight path, wonder no more. Boeing Co., the aerospace manufacturing giant, will partner with Austin-based SparkCognition Inc. to create unmanned traffic management (UTM) solutions. To achieve this, Boeing will use SparkCognition’s AI and blockchain technologies to track and create unmanned traffic routes to ensure safe travel conditions for unmanned air transportation.

“We partner with the world’s largest organizations that power, finance, and defend our society to uncover their highest potential through the application of AI technologies,” mentioned a blurb on the SparkCognition website. Solutions developed by the company are “agile” and can “streamline operations of any size, making it easier to accomplish goals and meet objectives in an expedited manner. These solutions can be seamlessly delivered via the cloud or on devices, and can also run on top of a client’s interface of choice.” It’s also worth mentioning that SparkCognition’s AI solutions lowered the cost of maitenance and improved available for a major aviation operator by 35%.

The company’s AI solutions can also warn of aircraft and asset failures before they occur, thus maximising fleet availability, minimizing unscheduled maitenance, and extending asset life. The company also provides simulated environments in which a user can train and control algorithms and evolve swarm tactics using reinforcement learning.

This promising partnership will also bring about a standardized programming interface to support package delivery, industrial inspection and other commercial applications. SparkCognition has its focus on a number of industries, such as cyber security, manufacturing, financial services, maritime, oil & gas, utilities, defence, and of course, aviation. “The world’s number one aviation leader partnering with the world’s most innovative industrial AI company means that unparalleled experience in safety, innovation, scale, and reliability will be brought to bear to address this monumental opportunity,” Husain said.

For more information on SparkCognition, please click here. For information on this innovative project, please see the video below.

Are you developing UTM solutions? Did you know that you can receive up to 14% back on your research expenses with the R&D Tax Credit? To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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