Eastern WA researchers fight cyber threats at aging U.S. hydropower system
Researchers at PNNL are combining their knowledge of the hydropower system and expertise in cybersecurity to secure the operational technology of the nation's hydropower fleet.
Their work to protect these facilities helps ensure the continued generation of affordable electricity that powers our homes and factories.
It also safeguards a key source of dispatchable power — generation that can be ramped up and down as needed to balance supply and demand — that enhances grid reliability and resilience.
The federally managed hydropower projects have an average age of about 65 years, so researchers tasked with protecting them must bridge the past to the future.
Efforts to adapt aging systems to thwart today's constantly evolving cyber threats include developing a suite of cybersecurity tools, an operational training model and a monitoring system.
To make it easier for operators who may need to respond to and recover from a cyber incident, researchers assembled and integrated guidance from several agencies and created a cyber-physical framework and roadmap for the nation's entire fleet. They also prepared and shared a step-by-step desk guide for navigating a cyberattack.
Fundamental to this work was an assessment of the connections and interactions among the cyber and physical components at hydropower facilities of all kinds.
By studying a representative sample of plants with a wide range of ages and uses, researchers found that they could be binned into just nine distinct cyber-physical configurations. This allows operators to more easily identify shared risks and potential mitigations.
In a separate effort to train cybersecurity professionals working on critical infrastructure, PNNL researchers developed a series of test platforms. These platforms, known as skids, are scaled-down, functional models that enable realistic exercises without putting real infrastructure at risk.
Examples of PNNL-developed skids include models of a water treatment facility, the Class 1 freight rail network and a hydropower plant. Each can be 'attacked' by cyber means to explore vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies.
The hydropower skid and associated training scenarios were designed with input from regional hydropower plant operators, including Spokane-based Avista Corporation and Grant County Public Utility District.
Complete with wicket gates, turbines and other components needed to generate power, as well as small, representative industrial control systems, the skid allows operators to see the effects of unauthorized cyber access and learn how to manage the risk.
Trainees can watch water levels above and below the miniature dam as the control systems undergo a simulated cyberattack. They can monitor relays in the substation that might trip, watch for flooding or erosion and see how the power grid responds. They also get a firsthand look at how their simulated responses impact the system.
PNNL's support in protecting hydropower plants also extends to an award-winning technology called SerialTap. This palm-sized device serves as a data collector, allowing modern network cybersecurity tools to monitor dispersed serial communication devices and legacy industrial control systems.
SerialTap makes it possible to detect cyberattacks and network anomalies so that analysts and operators can respond more quickly and effectively.
The technology will be tested by a commercial partner whose affiliate companies own and operate 85 hydroelectric facilities in the United States.
As the complexity and connectedness of the critical infrastructure we depend on for a strong economy increase, so does the risk of cyber threats with higher consequences.
Experts at PNNL are developing novel approaches to protect, detect and recover from potential cyberattacks at the hydroelectric facilities that produce nearly 6 percent of the nation's total electricity — and more than 60 percent of the power generated in the great state of Washington.
Steven Ashby is director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
11 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Eccentrica Pacchetto Titano is a track-focused Lamborghini Diablo restomod
For 2025 Monterey Car Week, San Marino-based restomod firm Eccentrica is rolling out a more track-focused version of its Lamborghini Diablo upgrade package. Designed for "occasional track days," according to the company, the Titano Package sharpens the Diablo in a way Lamborghini never did when the V12 supercar was in production. The package includes suspension changes, a new ECU map, and subtle styling changes, all of which will be shown off on a new build called the Pacchetto Titano at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. Eccentrica is also bringing two other cars-dubbed Rose Phoenix and Green Dragon-to demonstrate configuration possibilities. Those suspension changes consist of stiffer springs and a recalibration of the adaptive dampers for "heightened lateral responsiveness and precision feedback, without compromising comfort on spirited canyon roads," according to an Eccentrica press release. The other major mechanical change is an ECU remap that "enhances throttle response across the rev range," according to Eccentrica. The company didn't mention any changes in output, but for reference its standard tune for the Diablo's 5.7-liter V12 delivers 542 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. It wouldn't be a track-day special without carbon-fiber aerodynamic aids, and the Titano Package checks that box. A fixed carbon-fiber rear wing, as well as some other small changes to the bodywork, help increase downforce without dramatically altering the looks of the car. Lightweight wheels with carbon-aluminum construction, in a staggered 19-inch front/20-inch rear setup, are also part of the package. In addition to the wheels, changes to the cooling ducts for the Brembo braking system help further reduce unsprung mass. The Pacchetto Titano doubles down on that with exposed carbon-fiber bodywork, but customers will presumably be able to choose paint as well. The car also has a fire-suppression system and Alcantara upholstery with billet aluminum accents, along with a compact steering wheel with blue center stripe. Eccentrica didn't break out pricing for the Titano Package, but its builds start at $1.4 million, not including the cost of a donor car. The company plans to build just 19 of its Eccentrica V12 restomods, and aims for each build to be unique. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Business Upturn
12 hours ago
- Business Upturn
GridStrat Unveils GridStrat Clarity, a Business and Industry-Aware AI Engine for Improved AI Search Visibility and Live Market Intelligence
Calgary, Aug. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GridStrat today announced the launch of GridStrat Clarity, a business-aware AI platform that continuously analyzes a company and its operating environment to improve how AI systems answer questions about the business and to surface live market signals for sales, financing, and compliance teams. The Calgary-based firm specifies that the platform merges Generative Answer Engine Optimization (AEO/GEO) with continuous business ecosystem monitoring, a response to corporate and customer decisions increasingly originating and receiving decision support from AI tools. 'AI is now the front door to most buying and strategic decision making. GridStrat Clarity maximizes your business's value creation potential in this critical environment by continuously teaching AI systems the correct and most compelling facts about your business. Now you can ensure prospective stakeholders, from customers to investors, have your best information at their fingertips, and you can get ahead and stay ahead of competition by more rapidly digesting market shifts and improving your tactics.' — Ryan McDonald, Founder & CEO, GridStrat The platform's AI Visibility Optimization is already delivering significant results. It audits what popular AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI infused search, Gemini, and Perplexity know about a business, provides guidance to improve recommendation visibility, corrects inaccuracies with structured, verifiable information, and helps earn accurate citations for high-intent queries. 'In just over a month, we moved from basically invisible in AI search recommendations to number 1 in both of our targeted growth markets, Idaho and Washington, for our product category,' said Terry Sydoryk, CEO of Cellar Insights. 'That shift has positioned us far more effectively to meet our company's sales objectives.' Beyond public visibility, GridStrat Clarity provides continuous, company-specific intelligence by tracking organizations, customers, policies, competitors, technologies, and key events. This allows it to route critical signals into actionable briefings and workflows. This new AI-driven landscape impacts the entire business ecosystem, including consulting and marketing communications partners. 'PR is a major contributor to AI answer credibility… GridStrat Clarity ensures our clients are represented accurately. Additionally, it equips their executives, and our team!, with GridStrat's strategic news monitoring and market intelligence, empowering everyone to move smarter and execute faster,' said Dalyce Semko, Founder & CEO of communications partner ExpandCommunications. Why This Matters AI systems are rapidly becoming a critical component of business, from product and vendor evaluation to exploring strategic scenarios and assisting with content and workflow. Simultaneously, markets, technologies, and regulatory and policy signals are changing more rapidly than ever. Organizations require improved and more accurate representation in AI answers for both external parties and for their own internal teams. GridStrat Clarity achieves this through continuous business ecosystem awareness to make more timely, informed decisions. Availability and Early Access GridStrat Clarity is available now to qualified customers and agency partners. GridStrat will also be opening limited Early Access programs for new modules built on the same business-aware core, including Target ID & Account Radar, Capital Signals & Grant Finder, and M&A support. Interested companies can join the waitlist. For more details, visit And contact: [email protected] About GridStrat GridStrat is a high-performance consulting and AI solutions firm based in Calgary, Alberta, dedicated to assisting founders and executives in achieving scalable, rapid, and efficient growth. The company specializes in growth strategy, business development, capital advisory, and AI-enhanced business tools to help clients across North America penetrate new markets, secure growth capital, and harness advanced technologies effectively. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Should you delete your ChatGPT history? Why you might not have a choice.
Page Harrington asked ChatGPT to make a morning checklist for her five-year-old child with ADHD who can't read. The generative AI shot out a color-coded routine. Harrington also uses ChatGPT to make amusing oil paintings of her family, source trending songs for TikToks and even create interior designs for her home. The Massachusetts 33-year-old is among a growing number of ChatGPT power users. Some estimates find ChaptGPT now has between 800 million and 1 billion active daily users. Harrington is such a prolific user that the chatbot told her she seeks answers or ideas about every 11 minutes. "I'm using it all day everyday," she told USA TODAY. "I am entrenched." ChatGPT is so integral to her daily life that her chat history has become a detailed map of her inner self, Harrington said. "It is hysterical to look at because it really shows what my brain looks like," she said. "I use ChatGPT to take an idea I have and make it better. It reveals the constant thought-spiraling I have on a daily basis." While a detailed ChatGPT history can be hugely beneficial − the more users reveal, the more relevant the outputs are − it also raises privacy implications. In fact, ChatGPT histories are so intensely personal some people say they'd rather let a stranger read their texts than see their chatbot banter. That prospect is now a possibility. A May court order has − at least temporarily − prevented ChatGPT's parent company OpenAI from honoring user requests to delete the history of personal accounts. The move has created confusion over what exactly is ChatGPT history. Is it public? Could it be used against you? "We are forgetting how much we are sharing with it," said Jessica Camilleri-Shelton, an early ChatGPT adopter and UK-based AI content creator. "A lot of people are in a daze about what this tool represents and the way they're interacting with it. The things they're sharing and the history that's being built on them is a deep and revealing picture of who they are." Why your ChatGPTs aren't being deleted right now New York federal Judge Ona Wang ruled in May that OpenAI must hold on to some chats in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by The New York Times in 2023 alleges OpenAI used its articles to train its generative AI models. The newspaper and other plaintiffs say the ChatGPT user data could contain potential evidence to support that claim. The order requires OpenAI to keep ChatGPT histories even if a user requests the chats be deleted or if state privacy laws require OpenAI to delete the data. The order does not apply to business accounts. OpenAI appealed the preservation order, but was unsuccessful. Last month, Wang upheld the order when she rejected a user's petition that chats should not be maintained for privacy reasons. "Every single chat from everybody in America is now frozen under protective order and cannot be deleted," said Jay Edelson, a Chicago-based plaintiff's attorney who sues AI companies on behalf of users. "Even if people think they have temporary chats, or are deleting chats, by virtue of a court order, that's not happening." It's common for a judge to preserve records in litigation, said Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor. According to Calo, the court order doesn't technically violate OpenAI's terms of service, which say the company must retain data to comply with legal orders. But it raises "a very important legal question about what the people that make AI owe to the people who own the copyright behind the training data." The company said it will "resume our standard data retention practices" once the court permits. Next generation AI: OpenAI unveils Chat GPT-5 model with 'Ph.D level intelligence' In the meantime, user data applicable to the order will be "stored separately in a secure system" and is only accessible to OpenAI's legal and security team, according to OpenAI. Calo says ChatGPT users should be vigilant about the sensitive information they share. Such a robust data stockpile could still be vulnerable to cyber attacks and requests from law enforcement. "So, if you go talk to ChatGPT about your most sensitive stuff and then there's like a lawsuit or whatever, like we could be required to produce that," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged on the "This Past Weekend" podcast last month. Bottom line? Calo's recommendation is to stay calm and carry on using ChatGPT, just more cautiously. ChatGPT is 'one of us' From social media to search histories, people have navigated myriad privacy threats before. But ChatGPT makes us feel uniquely vulnerable because it is increasingly an extension of ourselves, according to Kate Devlin, professor of artificial intelligence and society at King's College London. "We tend to treat these things as if they are one of us," Devlin said. It's not you, it's me. ChatGPT doesn't want to be your therapist or friend That's the case for Rue Halloway, a 20-year-old social media creator from New York City, who uses generative AI for guidance on interpersonal situations and her ADHD. When she found therapy was too expensive, Halloway turned to ChatGPT. "I'm very neutral," Halloway said about the vulnerability of her ChatGPT history. While she wouldn't like it if her history ever became public, she wouldn't get too upset over it. After all, she already forks over a lot of personal data to other tech platforms, she says. Some people are willing to trade their data for access to "an expert at your fingertips,"Camilleri-Shelton said. Not everyone is so sure. With no federal law protecting online information and just a patchwork of state privacy laws, many Americans are confused and concerned about how their online information is used, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center. The discomforting reality is that ChatGPT consumes vast amounts of information all the time, privacy experts say. Even if you request that it delete your information, it has likely already digested and incorporated it, according to Calli Schroeder, lead of the AI and Human Rights Project at Electronic Privacy Information Center. "Because of the way these systems are built, you can't delete individual pieces of information once its become part of a training data set," she said. For this reason, some ChatGPT power users like Harrington have decided to avoid highly personal or emotional queries, preferring less revealing conversations, such as how to make a skin-care routine out of the products on her bathroom counter. "ChatGPT doesn't know if your boyfriend hates you," Harrington said. "But ChatGPT does know if you should use CeraVe Oil Cleanser before Cetaphil Soap ... I'm going with things that are more fact rather than opinion." How to protect your ChatGPT history Worried about disclosing too much to ChatGPT? Here are some tips:
