Digital Energy Defence Laboratory

 

Description of the lecture

The aim of the course "Digital Energy Defence Laboratory" is the practical acquisition of interdisciplinary competences on the topics of IT security and network management in future power grids for students from the majors „Communications Engineering“ (COMM), „Computer Engineering“ (COMP), „Electrical Power Engineering“ (EPEN) and „Systems and Automation“ (SYAT).

With the increasing integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into the operation of power grids, the potential for threats in security of supply through IT attacks increases. Based on a model-based energy network and an ICT network laboratory, the students of this project are to gain practical insights into the possibilities and risks of IT for network operation by means of a team-based simulation game.

The basic competences in the areas of energy supply, network technology and IT security will be discussed at the beginning of the project phase in a colloquium. In teams of up to 5 people, the students are to find weak points in their own infrastructure in the role of a system operator for a model-based network area and take suitable countermeasures. Weaknesses in the infrastructure of competing teams are then to be identified and tested by the students in a simulation game.

The course concludes with presentations of the teams in the colloquium for discussion of the results and a feedback session.