Author: Mitchell Bylak | Major: Computer Science | Semester: Spring 2023

My name is Mitchell Bylak, and I am a Computer Science major at the College of Engineering. For my Honors Thesis, I spent the Spring of 2023 researching how to create a simulated power grid under the mentorship of Dr. Chris Farnell, the director of the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission, and to aid future researchers and workforce members. I plan to continue working over the summer as well as next semester to research how to effectively develop a working prototype and demonstration of my simulated power grid.

            Throughout this semester, I have spent most of my time learning how to utilize and implement the various types of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) softwares most often used in critical systems infrastructure, such as power stations and water treatment facilities. Although it may seem difficult at first to understand the importance of learning how to design and layout these control panel windows, it is vital to remember that furthering the capabilities of cybersecurity is critical to public and national safety as the monitoring and maintenance of modern infrastructure continues to grow more connected to the internet and interfaced wirelessly every day. Almost as long as there have been computers, there have been users attempting to manipulate and abuse gaps in security for their own gain or others’ detriment. International cyberattacks are also increasingly prevalent, whether to steal private information or cripple military or industrial operations abroad. There are, unfortunately, few publicly available resources for newcomers into the field despite this high risk. The majority of these resources are either privatized within consulting companies or government-owned and controlled. With Dr. Farnell’s help, I plan to create an easily understandable learning module for future cybersecurity workers.

Before I was a part of NCREPT and working with other students on ET-ISAC (Emerging Threat-Information Sharing and Analysis Centers), I was helping to run the University of Arkansas’ Cybersecurity Club, now an RSO, Cyberhogs. Through our interests in cybersecurity and penetration testing, we met Dr. Farnell, who introduced us all to the work being done in his lab. After an additional semester of working with Dr. Farnell in Cyberhogs over the Fall, I decided upon cybersecurity as the focus for my Honors Research Thesis. With his help, I drafted a project and plan for hitting the various milestones for 2023 to complete my Honors Thesis.

Any fellow software engineer will tell you: that the most challenging part of any project is learning to use all the new software, and the same is true here. The most challenging aspect of my research has been finding the resources to learn and fully understand all the latest softwares and technologies I am working on within such a short, concentrated amount of time. As part of my plan for a relevant learning module, I would like an example or two of potential attack vectors in the simulated power grid. However, bypassing the security of these control systems requires a more advanced understanding of these softwares beyond the norm, which once again increases the depth to which I need to learn each component of the simulated grid before implementing them. As is the most common solution to any problem, I will need to work harder and continue learning as much as I can about the subject to eventually make it so that future users have a far simpler time learning this software and how to protect them than myself.

Dr. Farnell has been an incredible resource throughout the semester hosting weekly meetings for his research mentees and NCREPT student-workers to learn and teach one another, maintain communication, and keep one another responsible for accomplishing their milestones. Additionally, he is readily available for consultation in person or virtually to troubleshoot issues or discuss current setbacks with my project. Honors graduate Gideon Sutterfield has also been a great deal of help and guidance in learning how to use the various SCADA softwares. He also worked under Dr. Farnell and created a research module of his own for NCREPT. The list of people who have helped me will only grow as I continue working on this project, and I hope to make a significant impact on others once this research project has been completed.