DOE Advances AI Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure - ExecutiveGov
The Department of Energy is advancing artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity technologies to strengthen the resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure against cyberattacks.
The Department of Energy is advancing artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity technologies through a research initiative designed to strengthen the resilience of the nation's critical infrastructure against cyberattacks. As federal agencies develop AI-powered solutions, industry collaboration remains essential to address emerging threats.
The department's Artificial Intelligence for Operationally Resilient Technologies and Systems, or AI-FORTS, program explores how cybersecurity, AI and the energy sector intersect. Launched in 2024, AI-FORTS organizes its research around three complementary priorities: securing energy infrastructure from AI-enabled threats, using AI to strengthen cyber defenses, and protecting AI technologies deployed within energy systems.
Research Achievements
One example of AI-FORTS research is Communications and Cybersecurity for the Energy Edge, or C2E2, a project developed through CESER's partnership with Sandia National Laboratories. In September, DOE reported that C2E2 had reduced energy-system data preparation from approximately two months to a few hours.
The department also reported that the technology achieved 95-percent accuracy in detecting and locating cyber threats and could provide actionable intelligence in near real time. Over the coming year, the C2E2 team plans to explore the use of large language models to develop user-friendly impact assessments for energy infrastructure cybersecurity personnel.
Introducing new software into critical infrastructure environments requires organizations to assess whether the technology could create additional vulnerabilities or provide attackers with another entry point into a network.
Future Directions
CESER and Sandia are also advancing Scaled Testing for AI Systems, or STAISYS, a project designed to evaluate AI technologies in simulated environments that represent critical energy infrastructure. According to Sandia, STAISYS is one of four Sandia-led projects funded through AI-FORTS.
Separately, CESER and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory introduced the Mjölnir AI Testbed in April. The platform is designed to assess the cybersecurity and reliability of AI models intended for energy-sector applications by exposing them to adversarial testing.
The department plans to continue leveraging industry resources and collaboration to advance AI-FORTS research and strengthen the security of U.S. energy infrastructure. The Potomac Officers Club's 2027 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18 will bring together government and industry leaders to explore emerging AI technologies for mission priorities including cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.
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