Newswise — A grid cybersecurity and verification framework developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been licensed by GridForge Energy Solutions. The startup plans to explore ways the technology could boost real-time visibility of grid behavior for energy projects, grid management companies and utilities. The patented technology, called Cyber Grid Guard, uses a software framework running on customized hardware as a platform to instantly detect unusual grid activity, data manipulation and illicit changes to device settings. These can all cause cascading power outages and damage grid infrastructure. “It’s very meaningful to see this protection technology on a pathway to strengthening the American electric grid and bringing value to American companies,” said Raymond Borges Hink, ORNL cyber security specialist who led the research. “In the past, people didn’t know if they could trust this grid operating data. This provides a new layer of validation and analysis to make the grid safer.” Blockchain protects grid device communications Using the same tamper-resistant blockchain commonly used to protect cryptocurrency, Cyber Grid Guard protects data sharing among electronic devices in the grid. Configuration and operating data about voltage, frequency, breaker status and power quality are spread redundantly across multiple servers. They are then constantly verified against the most recent settings saved in the blockchain. Performance logs track the source of any unauthorized changes. "ORNL's framework represents some of the most rigorous thinking on verified data exchange, attestation, and cybersecurity for grid infrastructure,” said Worlasie Djameh, co-founder and CEO of GridForge. “We are excited to translate this world-class national lab research into something commercially deployable for grid operators and flexible demand providers." The capabilities of Cyber Grid Guard were proven in a substation test bed at ORNL’s Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center (GRID-C) using commercial hardware. GRID-C offers a unique combination