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Fact Sheets

All fact sheets are PDF documents

• Control Systems Security Center — 775kB
• Critical Infrastructure Protection Test Range — 1.2MB
• SCADA Test Bed — 787kB

See also

• Infrastructure Protection in the Ancient World ( 2.3MB PDF)
• INL National SCADA Test Bed web site

Described as the greatest mechanical invention ever conceived, the nation’s electric power grid - with its massive transmission towers, multiple substations, and millions of miles of power lines - crosses our country and into Canada providing continuous power to our citizens. This system -as witnessed during the August 2003 blackout - has vulnerabilities that could be exploited by acts of terrorism.

To ensure that the lights always turn on, the Department of Energy turned to the experts at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to improve both the physical and cyber security of the nation’s electric power grid.

INL has operated research and development, manufacturing and waste management programs for more than 50 years, resulting in a complex internal infrastructure containing facilities representative of the nation’s critical infrastructure, including a full-scale electric power grid that can isolated for individual testing.

Our vast and secluded location provides the ultimate proving ground for analysis and assessment of the power grid and its related components. Within the boundaries of INL’s 890 square mile site, the laboratory owns and operates 61 miles of functioning 138 kV transmission line, seven independent substations, and a dedicated control room. This infrastructure allows for isolated and full-scale testing to be performed in a real life environment. Currently researchers are developing transmission line sensors that can detect line tampering and alert operators to potential security breaches.

In addition to physically protecting the power grid, INL also operates a state of the art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Test Bed which employees SCADA system and cyber security experts to research and develops solutions that will strengthen the computer systems operating the electric power grid from attacks by viruses, hackers, and terrorism. We are also working with the Department of Homeland Security and other national laboratories to strengthen cyber security measures in other utility areas.

With more than five decades of experience in establishing, developing and maintaining critical infrastructure systems, INL is quickly becoming a leader in utility security. We employ technical experts in all fields of engineering, control systems, cyber security, and infrastructure systems to provide real solutions to our customers and to protect our nation’s energy supply.