Nonprofit for collecting info on SCADA & PCS security incidents

The Risks Digest has an item that refers to Stephanie Neil's article in "Managing Automation", 12 Sep 2009 that discusses the http://www.securityincidents.org, "a newly formed non-profit group that provides public access to its Repository of Industrial Security Incidents (RISI)". This group is targeted towards SCADA and process control security incidents that occur in many systems, including Cyber-Physical Systems.

Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation FY10 Information

The NSF announced: Information for the research community in advance of release of the FY10 solicitation for Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI).

The NSF website says:

It is anticipated that an official solicitation for the FY 2010 CDI competition will be posted in the coming weeks. For the information of the research community, the following statements highlight important items and expected changes from the previous FY 2009 solicitation. This is subject to change until the FY 2010 solicitation is officially approved and posted.

• No Type III: As in FY 2009, there will be no Type III competition in FY 2010.
  
• No pre-proposals: Preliminary proposals will be eliminated – PIs will be asked to submit full proposals only.
  
• Deadlines: Type I and Type II will continue to be independent competitions in FY 2010. The new deadlines will be February 4, 2010, for Type I full proposals and February 5, 2010, for Type II full proposals.
  
• The paragraphs on societal impact of CDI, in the synopsis and description sections, will be expanded to address national grand challenges and presidential initiatives (e.g., see http://www.ostp.gov/galleries/press_release_files/Final%20Signed%20OMB-OSTP%20Memo%20-%20ST%20Priorities.pdf).
  
• The section on virtual organizations will be revised to more strongly emphasize research, in contrast to only building infrastructure.
  

July 23, 2009 DHS Cyber-physical Systems Conference

The Homeland Security Today website has an article, "Workshop Probes Future of Cyber-physical Security" that discusses a July 23 DHS sponsored CPS conference. At that conference, Jeannette Wing (assistant director at the NSF) is quoted as saying “Our lives depend on them [CPS] and our lives will depend on them more and more in the future,” and “How can we build intelligent … and safe digital systems that interact with the physical world?"

UC Berkeley Team to Receive First ACM/IEEE A. Richard Newton Technical Impact Award in Electronic Design Automation

For their outstanding technical contributions, UC Berkeley Professors Robert K. Brayton, Richard Rudell, Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, and Albert R. Wang will be the first recipients of the ACM/IEEE A. Richard Newton Technical Impact Award in Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

The award will be presented to these authors of the seminal paper, "MIS: A Multiple-Level Logic Optimization System" at the opening session of the 46th Design Automation Conference on July 28th.

The paper, having established the groundwork of modern multi-level logic synthesis, has made major contributions to research, education and industrial practice.

See article in News Blaze.

"When Robots Invaded the Senate"

The NSF news item "When Robots Invaded the Senate" discusses the July 14, 2009 Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) briefing given by the NSF funded researchers to Senate members and their staff.

NSF Presents a Luncheon Briefing and Open-House Exhibits on Cyber-physical Systems On Capitol Hill

"On Thursday, July 9, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will present a luncheon briefing and open house with exhibits on cyber-physical systems (CPS) in Room 902 of the Hart Senate Office Building. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. a special guest, will provide opening remarks. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV is also invited to attend. Leading experts from industry and academia will offer their insights into the impending CPS revolution. Researchers and students, ranging from doctoral students to students from Baltimore-area high schools, will present demonstrations and exhibits highlighting the latest research and education on CPS."

For details, see http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115133

Cyber-Physical Systems Security Workshop: July 22-24, Newark

"A Cyber-physical Systems Security Workshop will be held on July 22-24 in Newark, NJ. This workshop is sponsored by the Science & Technology Directorate, DHS; National Cyber Security Division, DHS, National Institute of Standards and Technology; US Department of Energy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, DoD; Operations, Plans & Requirements, HQ USAF; and Logistics, Installations, & Mission Support, HQ USAF."

"In addition to presentations of selected position papers submitted by researchers from academic, industry, and national Laboratories, we also have four panels: industry, sectors, NSF, and venture capital firms. These panels provide a forum for the respective representatives to discuss their perspectives on the current state of the security of cyber-physical systems; where should the technology and science be in 5-10 years from now; why we are not there now? What are, in their opinion, some of the research challenges that are in the way of us being there now; and why do we need to be there? That is, what legitimate case that can be made to justify the needed R&D investments. Furthermore, we are in discussion with the All Hazards Consortium to have representatives from their 9 member states (NY, NJ, VA, WV, MD, PA, DC, etc.) join in a “States/Local” Panel."

Paper Submission

Submission site: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cpssw09

Important Dates

• June 1, 2009 - Extended Deadline for Position paper submission: June
  8, 2009
  
• June 29, 2009- Author notification
  
• July 22-24, 2009- Workshop
  

US House of Representatives passes NITRD Bill that mentions Cyber-Physical Systems

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2020, the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2009:

"Additionally, it creates a task force to explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative R&D activities in cyber-physical systems;"