TASTING – Data protection in the electricity grid distributed control infrastructure

TASTING – Data protection in the electricity grid distributed control infrastructurePost-docSupervisor: Mathilde Arnaud (CEA – University Paris-Saclay)Starting Date: January 2025 (24 months)Location: Palaiseau (in Paris area)Keywords: data protection, grid control, runtime verification, security propertiesContextThis offer is part of TASTING1, a four-year project that has received state funding managed by the National Research Agency under the France 2030 program. This project aims to address the main challenges related to the modernization and security of electrical systems with an emphasis on the cloud/edge continuum. Its structure responds to the PEPR TASE call for "Technological solutions for the digitization of intelligent energy systems," co-led by CEA and CNRS. The project focuses on scientific challenges surrounding ICT infrastructure, which is considered a crucial element in driving the significant transformations expected in energy infrastructures over the next decades. Seven academic laboratories are involved in TASTING: G2Elab, GeePs, IRIT, CEA-LIST, L2EP, L2S, and SATIE, as well as the Ctrl-A team from Inria. The project also benefits from an industrial partner: RTE (Electricity Transmission Network).The participation of RTE, a key player in transmission systems, in the TASTING project represents a significant asset. As an associated partner, RTE brings concrete use cases and active support for academic research within the various institutions involved. Its involvement ensures the identification of real scientific barriers for the development of solutions created within the TASTING project. These solutions will thus be directly applicable at scale, maximizing the impact of innovations on the resilience and flexibility of intelligent energy networks.The proposed use cases are as follows:UC1: Distribution of ICT resourcesUC2: Distributed control of PS & DER -> Active management on 63kV loops -> Different solutions for distributed controls (AI, Agent, ADMM, others)UC3: Ensure real-time optimal UFLS through digital controlUC4: Fault location (PS & IT)UC5: Multi-energy/infrastructure DTTo enable the emergence of flexible and resilient energy networks, we need to find solutions to the challenges facing these networks, in particular digitization and the protection of data flows that this will entail, and cybersecurity issues. In the Tasting project, your role will be to analyze data protection for all parties involved. The aim is to verify security properties on data in distributed systems, taking into account that those induce a number of uncertainties.Objectives and Research programIn order to verify security properties regarding data protection in distributed systems, you will develop a tool-based methodology for protecting the data of power grid stakeholders. The approach will be based on formal methods applied to a distributed control system.More specifically, several methods and tools developed within CEA List Systems Requirements and Conformance laboratory will be used. The CSpeL modeling language can be used to represent the entities and relationships at stake in the context of systems verification with regard to privacy and consent. For example, this language can be used to define the data to be protected and who has the authorization to access or process it. As part of this postdoc, we plan to use an extension of this language to represent broader notions of data integrity and protection issues. This work could be based on a taxonomy of data processed in the use cases. Based on this preliminary work, you will define security properties adapted to the use cases and particularities of distributed systems. The CASTT tool can be used to translate the model described in CSpeL into an input language for a formal verification tool. Part of the work will involve implementing in CASTT a translation to the Maat-IAT tool, which can be used to formalize an interaction model describing a distributed system, and to validate an execution trace against the modeled system. This will enable Maat-IAT to be used to analyze use case scenarios and attempt to detect attacks on security and data integrity. Use of the NACRE platform developed jointly by CEA and RTE is also envisaged.Candidate profileEligible candidates should have a PhD in computer science.Experience in formal methods or in cybersecurity would be an advantage.Good communication skills (both oral and written);ContactPlease send a CV and a motivation letter to:ReferencesErwan Mahe, B. B. (2023). Interaction-based offline runtime verification of distributed systems. Fundamentals of Software Engineering, 88-103.Myriam Clouet, T. A. (2023). Context Specification Language for Formally Verifying Consent Properties on Models and Code. Tests and Proofs: 17th International Conference (pp. 68-93). Leicester, UK: Springer-Verlag. #J-18808-Ljbffr