Researchers recently introduced a cryptographic standard that would allow offshore wind turbines to securely communicate with outside parties, according to Tech Xplore.
"Through the use of techniques such as Multi Party Computation (MPC), this approach allows the analysis of encrypted data, ensuring the confidentiality of the information while sharing the results obtained by such analysis," said lead researcher Claudia Bartoli.
Current methods depend on certification bodies for data transfer, but the process often strips needed details for privacy reasons. With this new kind of encryption, full datasets from wind energy generators could be sent to stakeholders while preserving the confidentiality needed for trade secrets. The proposed system also reduces the costs of managing large databases through novel cryptography methods.
The hope is that academics and commercial partners could access data from floating wind turbines to advance their respective efforts. Wind power operators could share live data with equipment manufacturers when troubleshooting technical problems. Meanwhile, academics could use real-world data to research much-needed wind power technologies.
The security of the electrical grid is serious business. Being careless with data exchange from power generation can lead to cybersecurity risks. Full-blown sabotage is one threat. Being able to steal intellectual property is more insidious and threatens the economic viability of already precarious wind projects. The U.S. Department of Energy has made significant investments in grid security, and tech such as this could ensure clean energy is included in those advancements. We've also seen grid regulators improve cybersecurity standards, which should improve the reliability of energy generation across the board.
Wind power is making big strides globally. Advancements such as these can help sustainable energy generation continue smoothly and improve over time with informed research.
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