PROTECT-GRIDS (Proactive Remediation and Organized Tactics for Effective Cybersecurity of Targeted Grid (market) Retailers In Distribution Systems)

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $299,429 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The U.S. energy sector has experienced a sharp rise in cyberattacks, particularly targeting electricity market participants at the distribution level. These participants—such as retailers representing distributed energy resources (DERs) and smart homes—are essential to modern electricity markets but also introduce new vulnerabilities. Among the most dangerous threats are coordinated false data injection (FDI) attacks that manipulate market data to disrupt power dispatch, pricing, and system configurations. These attacks can result in power outages, inflated prices, voltage instability, and grid congestion. Despite advancements in cybersecurity research, there is currently no cohesive solution for both detecting and remediating such coordinated cyberattacks on distribution-level market retailers. This project addresses that critical gap, which aligns with the NSF’s mission to advance the energy infrastructure by integrating innovative technologies and solutions to ensure reliability and robustness of power systems against emerging threats. It also contributes to the emerging field of smart grid cybersecurity, with a special focus on market-based operations. The intellectual merit of this proposed project includes the design of a cohesive protection framework that combines detection and proactive mitigation to minimize the impact of coordinated FDI cyberattacks, alongside post-attack remediation to fully resolve operational issues caused by these attacks on DER retailers and sm

Key facts

NSF award ID
2502685
Awardee
Purdue University (IN)
SAM.gov UEI
YRXVL4JYCEF5
PI
Arash Asrari
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Machine Learning Theory, QUANTUM COMMUNICATION, CYBER SECURITY ACT PROPOSALS
Estimated total
$299,429
Funds obligated
$299,429
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028