Lassonde professor receives 2024 National Cybersecurity Consortium Funding for cybersecurity project

This story originally appeared in News@York

TORONTO, October 28, 2024 – The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) has announced a slate of successful project applications as part of its second annual Call for Proposals. York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering has been awarded $300,000 for its research and development cybersecurity project, End-to-end Cyber-Security Solution for the Power Grid in collaboration with Cistel Technology, Siemens Canada Ltd, Carleton University and Dalhousie University. The project will be led by Pirathayini Srikantha, associate professor in the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science department.

Climate change concerns have spurred the proliferation of independent power producers (e.g. renewables) in the electric grid along with significant increase in power demands due to the electrification of fossil-fuel based technologies (e.g. transportation). Grid communications are critical for effectively coordinating the evolving grid. In this project, an end-to-end cyber security solution will be developed that leverages on the natural interdependencies of the cyber and physical domains of the electric grid to ensure reliable, secure and trust-worthy grid communications.  

This year, the NCC has dedicated $22.8 million in funding as part of its commitment to the Government of Canada’s Cyber Security Innovation Network program. In addition to Lassonde’s successful project application, funds have been distributed to 37 projects put forth by Canadian organizations representing academia, private institutions, and the not-for-profit sector.

The NCC’s Call for Proposals program supports projects that include:

• Research and development projects with Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)1-6 via the design and implementation of innovative cybersecurity technologies, advancing the state-of-the-art, and supporting studies into emerging cybersecurity issues;
• Commercialization of new technology with TRL 7-9, developing products and services that address cybersecurity challenges in critical infrastructure protection, human-centric cybersecurity, network security, software security, and privacy protection; and
• Provide and build opportunities for training, upskilling, and reskilling of cybersecurity professionals across myriad disciplines. 

Visit the NCC website for a complete list of successful 2024 Call for Proposal projects, and to learn more about the NCC.