COVERT DEFENSES LLC — Department of Homeland Security SBIR Phase I: DHS231-006

Description

Phase I proposes a workflow, called Masked Vulnerability-Preserving Reduced Order Model (MVP-ROM), that encodes a novel non-weaponizable structure-preserving ROM algorithm using a nonlinear port-Hamiltonian modeling for networked power systems, integrated under the Idaho National Laboratory (INL)’s All Hazards Analysis (AHA) Framework for Critical Infrastructure (CI) analysis. The project posits that the resulting protect surface model is a double edge sword as it would allow threat actors to orchestrate silent attacks under the guise of naturally occurring disturbances such as tornados and malfunctioning equipment that exploit grid uncertainties. Using AHA and previously developed power systems testcases, Phase I will analyze a destabilizing and a deception attack to capture the same vulnerabilities identified by the high-fidelity model, and to prove the resilience of the model to reverse-engineering by threat actors colluding with insiders. The workflow will be based on previously developed modules for ROM, manually integrated under Phase I, with automation and scalability for prototyping and testing by CI stakeholders under Phase II. Commercial applications are identified in multiple existing and emerging markets including simulation and digital twin software, data masking, and synthetic data for machine learning. A beachhead strategy is pursued to capture this market by developing plug-and-play software modules that can be integrated into existing software frameworks to build ROMs, generate synthetic and/or masked data. The product integration strategy provides Covert Defenses with a disruptive first-movers advantage in the energy CI space and the brand awareness through INL partnership.