In light of events threatening global security such as the war that began between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, the need to secure vital resources such as electricity, water and fuels is more essential than ever.
To bolster cyberdefense for energy grids and water systems, the U.S. and Israel began a collaboration known as the Israel-U.S. Initiative on Cybersecurity Research and Development for Energy, or ICRDE, which is one of four consortia operating under the administration of the U.S.-Israel Energy Center. The ICRDE is funded by the U.S.-Israel Energy Center program and managed by the U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development, or BIRD, Foundation.
The collaboration, which began in 2021, includes a variety of academic and industry partners. Arizona State University leads the coalition’s U.S. efforts, while Ben-Gurion University of the Negev leads the Israeli operations.
The coalition has conducted research to improve energy grid cybersecurity since 2021 and has held four virtual conference workshops. The fifth workshop, held in Tempe, Arizona, at the Hyatt Place hotel near ASU’s Tempe campus in October 2023, was the first to take place in person after earlier events were conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The workshops give coalition members a chance to network, discuss the ICRDE’s future plans and share updates on their research progress.