EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The University of Texas at El Paso was awarded a $500,000 grant on Thursday from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to bolster nuclear plant cybersecurity.

According to the university, the grant aims to support the advancement of artificial intelligence and enhance cybersecurity measures for nuclear power plants.

This comes as UTEP’s newly funded project is expected to focus on transforming the cybersecurity of nuclear plants.

Sajedul Talukder, an assistant professor of computer science at UTEP and co-principal investigator of the project, emphasized the growing cybersecurity challenges faced by nuclear facilities due to their increasing reliance on digital systems.

The project, a collaboration between UTEP and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), is spearheaded by Talukder and Syed Bahauddin Alam, an assistant professor of nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering at UIUC.

The UTEP-UIUC project is built around three major innovations that could reshape how nuclear plants are defended against cyber threats.

According to the university, the first innovation involves restructuring plant networks to individually protect each device and system, creating multiple layers of security. The second is an AI-powered monitoring system that detects unusual activity in real time, acting as a digital security guard. The third is a virtual testing ground, or digital twin, of critical nuclear plant systems, allowing for safe simulation of attacks and testing of defenses.

“Together, these innovations shift nuclear cybersecurity from being reactive to being proactive,” Talukder said. “It’s an intelligent shield that adapts and evolves as quickly as the threats themselves.”

Ken Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering at UTEP, highlighted the significance of the grant, stating, “For UTEP, this award places the University among an elite group of institutions helping to define the future of nuclear security and highlights our growing contribution to solving one of the nation’s toughest problems.”

The three-year project will also provide UTEP students with opportunities to engage in cutting-edge AI research, offering hands-on experience in a field that intersects artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and national security.

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