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The DOE (Department of Energy) of the United States has granted about 200 hundred thousand dollars to a start-up in the space of IoT security, called TFA Labs. TFA Labs is participating in a U.S. government-funded trial of the technology to protect the national power grid.
As part of TFA Labs efforts to explore a solution to secure the Energy Grid, they are using the Factom Protocol. The Factom Protocol is an open-source, enterprise-grade, developer-friendly, ready-to-use platform to efficiently build blockchain solutions, utilized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other leading enterprises.
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The official abstract notes that in spite of an increased number of sensors and devices coming online, the vulnerabilities remain the same when it comes to the integrity of data at both the source as well as through the transport. Thus, the overall goals of this massive grant suggest designing a system utilizing the technology of blockchain to enhance grid resilience and reliability. The abstract also mentions how rapidly the electric grids are evolving, thanks to advanced information management, monitoring, and communication with the connected devices.
The suggested approach involves securing and validating devices present on the grid that are not malware-infected. Other than that, it also includes building technology for improving the security of those devices that are used daily by consumers. It presents a cost-effective manner in which it is possible to secure devices through blockchain technology.
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Reportedly, the 1st phase would last until March when the TFA Labs plans to ready the prototype. If the trial enters the second phase, TFA will not only tie-up with the device manufacturers, but could also receive a funding of nearly one million dollars from the DOE.
