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At least 19 records

Secure Collaborative Environment for Seamless Sharing of Scientific Knowledge

In a secure collaborative environment, tera-bytes of data generated from powerful scientific instruments are used to train secure machine learning (ML) models on exascale computing systems, which are then securely shared with internal or external collaborators as cloud-based services. Devising such a secure platform is necessary for seamless scientific knowledge sharing without compromising individual, or institute-level, intellectual property and privacy details. By enabling new computing opportunities with sensitive data, we envision a secure collaborative environment that will play a significant role in accelerating scientific discovery. Several recent technological advancements have made it possible to realize these capabilities. In this paper, we present our efforts at ORNL toward developing a secure computation platform. We present a use case where scientific data generated from complex instruments, like those at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), are used to train a differential privacy enabled deep learning (DL) network on Summit, which is then hosted as a secure multi-party computation (MPC) service on ORNL’s Compute and Data Environment for Science (CADES) cloud computing platform for third-party inference. In this feasibility study, we discuss the challenges involved, elaborate on leveraged technologies, analyze relevant performance results and present the future vision of our work to establish secure collaboration capabilities within and outside of ORNL.

Yoginath, Srikanth↗

The Data Foundry: Secure Collaboration for the Geothermal Industry: Preprint

The Data Foundry provides secure, cloud-based storage and universal access to digital information, enabling the greater geothermal industry to collaborate seamlessly with the Department of Energy (DOE), national labs, universities, and private organizations. Originally developed to support the EGS Collab project, the Data Foundry has been expanded to support FORGE, EDGE, and other DOE-funded projects, some collaborative, some private, by providing each project with a secure space and the ability to fine-tune individual access controls. In response to user feedback, it now also features improved integration with DOE’s Geothermal Data Repository (GDR), to provide a clear and convenient pathway from collaboration to publication, and to register collaborative data projects with well-known data registries like Data.gov and the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). This paper will explore how recent concerns raised by data-centric, proprietary projects have informed development on the Data Foundry and highlight improvements designed to streamline workflows, improve access control, and promote the timely dissemination of information to the geothermal industry.

Data Foundry↗

Progress Report 2018: Innovation Through Collaboration - Securing a More Affordable and Reliable Energy Future

This annual report from the Better Buildings Initiative contains information about partner projects, energy and cost savings, and new program initiatives. The 2018 Progress Report also recognizes the latest group of Better Buildings Goal Achievers - organizations who have met their energy, water, and/or financing commitments under the Better Buildings or Better Plants Challenge.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Final Report for Industrial Base Cybersecurity Initiative (IBCI) Project (FY2019)

Information security issues impact all manufacturing sectors and are particularly troublesome when designs for advanced weapons systems are lost via attacks that propagate through the relatively unprotected lower tiers of the nation's supply chains. The US Manufacturing Industrial Base (MIB) consists of suppliers and distributors that range in size from large prime contractors with extensive cybersecurity resources to small shops with little or no in-house information technology capabilities. The acquisition and maintenance of the technologies, systems, and financial resources needed to assure secure collaborations can be an overwhelming challenge for many manufacturers yet the cost of poor cybersecurity practices can lead to the compromise of national security information worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The Department of Defense Manufacturing Industrial Base Policy organization and the Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office have chartered the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) to design, develop, and demonstrate a Manufacturing Threat Evaluation Wargaming System (MTEWS). The MTEWS concept is based on the use of a virtual model of the computer networks and cybersecurity protocols used across the MIB that will be continuously updated to reflect the dynamic threat environment. The MTEWS cyber-physical test range will demonstrate a prototype wargaming system that analyzes the impact of new and existing cybersecurity threats while also providing the information needed to sustain the integrity of the MIB supply chains. A long-term goal is the establishment of an enduring national manufacturing operations center that proactively responds to the continuously changing attacks that threaten the MIB and US national security. LANL and Y-12 have formed an Industrial Base Cybersecurity Initiative Team (IBCI), consisting of partners from the public, private and academic sectors, that is developing the MTEWS. To date, most of the project tasks have been centered on the technologies required to create a representative model of the MIB because this is a foundational element for the entire project. Modeling activities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) have demonstrated a VMware-based prototype system that can accommodate a network model with up to 350 nodes and includes features such as the option to incorporate network scanning information when building the model and the ability to down select the elements of duplicative networks to a statistically significant subset that avoids redundantly duplicating network configurations. Broad Ordering Agreements have been established with UNC Charlotte and the University of West Florida (UWF) that support a variety of cybersecurity for manufacturing tasks and wide-spread endorsement has been received from government, industry and academia sectors concerning the IBCI goals and technical direction.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Consequence Based Framework for Deployment of Cloud Solutions in the Digital Energy Transition

This study proposes a framework for evaluating cloud computing deployment in the electric sector, focusing on the digital transition of energy systems. It assesses the implications of cloud technology adoption, particularly in terms of security, operational resilience, and efficiency. The paper introduces a method for consequence-driven risk analysis, enabling utilities to prioritize and mitigate potential threats effectively. It also discusses the shared responsibility model in cloud computing, highlighting the need for collaborative security efforts. The research aims to provide utilities with a strategic assessment tool for cloud adoption, emphasizing the importance of security culture in enhancing cloud computing's role in critical infrastructure.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Consequence Based Framework for Deployment of Cloud Solutions in the Digital Energy Transition

This study proposes a framework for evaluating cloud computing deployment in the electric sector, focusing on the digital transition of energy systems. It assesses the implications of cloud technology adoption, particularly in terms of security, operational resilience, and efficiency. The paper introduces a framework for consequence-driven applied risk analysis, enabling utilities to prioritize and mitigate potential threats effectively, and responsibly deploy cloud applications. It also discusses the shared responsibility model in cloud computing, highlighting the need for collaborative security efforts. The research aims to provide utilities with a strategic assessment tool for cloud adoption, emphasizing the importance of security culture in enhancing cloud computing's role in critical infrastructure.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Frontiers and opportunities in bioenergy crop microbiome research networks

Researchers from across the four U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers engaged in a microbiome workshop that focused on identifying challenges and collaboration opportunities to better understand bioenergy-relevant plant–microbe interactions. The virtual workshop included hands-on educational sessions and a keynote address on current best practices in microbiome science and community microbiome standards, as well as breakout sessions aimed at identifying microbiome-related data and measurements that should be prioritized, opportunities for and barriers to integrating plant metabolites to microbiome research, and strategies for more effectively integrating microbiome data and processes into existing models. Based on participant discussion, key findings of the workshop were the need to prioritize scaling data sharing across BRCs and the broader research community and securing collaborative infrastructure in the areas of microbiome-ecosystem modeling and molecular plant-microbe interactions. This workshop review highlights additional main findings from this event, to encourage cross-site and more holistic meta-analyses while promoting wide scientific community engagement across plant microbiome sciences.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Transforming Energy Through Computational Excellence: A View From NREL

At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory—computational science, high-performance computing, applied mathematics, advanced computer science, visualization, and data play a pivotal role in advancing energy abundance, affordability, security, and reliability. From fundamental scientifc discovery to systems engineering and analysis, NREL researchers tackle market-relevant challenges to develop solutions for an independent energy system that is reliable, resilient and secure. Collaborative partnerships with industry, government, and academia ensure that our research remains cutting edge, impactful, applicable, and aligned with real-world energy needs. This special issue of Computing in Science & Engineering highlights exemplary NREL projects where computational tools and methodologies drive discovery and accelerate innovation in scalable and integrated energy systems. The featured articles explore the role of computational modeling, high-performance computing, generative AI, and adaptive computing in advancing independent energy solutions, optimizing sustainability research, and enhancing decision-making for energy solutions using a broad mix of energy technologies. Here, these contributions demonstrate how NREL’s computational research bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementation, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to innovation, with a focus on translating computational excellence into real-world impact, thus accelerate progress toward national energy goals. By showcasing cutting-edge research at the intersection of computational science and energy systems, this issue aims to inspire and inform researchers, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to shaping a more reliable energy future.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

National-Tribal Critical Infrastructure Protection: Collaboration for Extraordinary National Security Benefit

This paper examines national and tribal collaborative opportunities to get ahead of the critical infrastructure insecurity problem. Recommendations are viewed through the lens of the Sandia Labs Tribal Cyber-Energy initiative and national security projects. Recommendations include 1) Collaboratively address national priority and shared challenges to gain faster and better solutions to national priority problems on a smaller yet comprehensive American Indian and Alaskan Native sovereign single-point of authority scale 2) Utilize newer standards-based technologies to provide scalable, capable, and manageable solutions for greatly expanded and connected national critical infrastructures 3) Employ Cyber-Physical-Resilient design preliminary analysis to define concept- to-disposition design requirements for preemptive critical infrastructure risk mitigation and baked-in security; 4) Develop data-centric protection to provide increased information asset protection as data shifts from data-owner operated on-premises infrastructure to virtual service provider data-steward owned and operated off-premises infrastructure; and 5) Balance shared solutions with the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity and Risk Management frameworks, and the System Security Engineering Guidelines. As yet unallocated federal funding would support research, development, the timely application of National-Tribal critical infrastructure protection, and critical infrastructure Cyber disruption response and recovery with extraordinary mutual benefits for the foreseeable future. The Critical Infrastructure Insecurity Problem: Rapid modernization and expansive connectivity are due to advances in Information and Communications Technologies that have sweeping cyber impact across all critical infrastructure sectors. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Industrial Control Systems are particularly impacted as systems long separated from the Internet are now being connected and computerized. Virtualization and mobility create a Data Everywhere-User Anywhere paradigm that has evaporated the enterprise network perimeter. There are multi-front technological challenges at play, where long depended on technologies simply don't scale to current needs resulting in a digital dichotomy of competing old and new standards. New standards-based technologies scale but are not as well-known or as widely deployed, which leaves decision makers, stakeholders, and the workforce in a quandary, caught mid-stream between the technological past and the virtual future. Rapid and expansive cyber threat accompanies disruptive change in connectivity and computational dependencies. A lack of action will exacerbate the problem if new technologies roll out without baked-in security design. The Risk: If National-Tribal CIP collaboration to design in security is not done, then an ongoing state of insufficient bolt-on security and elevated threat exposure will remain for years to come.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Editorial: Biological Engagement Programs: Reducing Threats and Strengthening Global Health Security Through Scientific Collaboration

It is often said about infectious diseases that a “threat anywhere is a threat everywhere,” and the recent outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa and Zika virus in South America have proven that pathogens know no borders. Not only are they transboundary, pathogens do not discriminate who they infect. In addition to the natural increase in emerging zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide due to changing environmental conditions and globalization, the use of infectious diseases as warfare agents is a threat in today’s world. Early detection remains one of the best ways to prevent small outbreaks becoming epidemics and pandemics. We find that an accurate diagnosis, detection, and reporting of diseases are important components of mitigating outbreaks, and biosurveillance remains the top tool in our toolbox. And while vaccines have been important for controlling more common infectious virus diseases, they are less feasible for less common diseases, emerging pathogens, and rapidly evolving microbes. Furthermore, due to globalization and increased travel, emigration, and migration, biosurveillance is critical throughout the world, not just in pockets of more developed regions.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NLR CSP Optical Facilities: Illuminating the Path Forward Through Innovation and Impact: Agreement 38490

This initiative is a multi-faceted project at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) aimed at strengthening its Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Optical Facilities to advance the development of low-cost, high-performance materials for solar and other applications. The project's strategy is built on three pillars: strategic stakeholder engagement, diligent facility maintenance and utilization, and the development of new research capabilities. The overarching goal is to ensure the facilities remain state-of-the-art resources for industry and academia, thereby accelerating the conversion of concentrated sunlight into energy. A key driver of the project is an international Advisory Board, which provides critical guidance on research priorities and industry needs, leading to new collaborations and secured funding. This external engagement, combined with proactive outreach to industry partners, ensures the lab's work remains aligned with real-world challenges, including materials durability and performance certification. Significant efforts in facility maintenance have addressed challenges with aging infrastructure. Notable achievements include the complete refurbishment of the hail-damaged Ultra-Accelerated Weathering System (UAWS) and the successful replacement of a failing 15-year-old Lambda 1050 spectrophotometer with a new-generation model, substantially upgrading material characterization capabilities. These maintenance activities were complemented by achieving a prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification for the Advanced Optical Materials Labs, formally recognizing the quality and reliability of NLR's measurement capabilities. Despite these successes, challenges remain, including high demand for the High Flux Solar Furnace (HFSF) and intermittent failures of other key instruments. The project has delivered major advancements in research techniques and capabilities. At the Flatirons campus, a new indoor laboratory, was established to house advanced deflectometry and photogrammetry systems for heliostat characterization. For on-sun testing, a novel, actively cooled turning mirror was developed for the HFSF, enabling more realistic testing of particle receivers and components. A collaboration with Virginia Tech successfully demonstrated the high-temperature durability of a new solar absorber coating through extensive cyclic testing. Concurrently, new modeling took place to better predict material degradation on rough, fractal surfaces. In summary, this project has systematically enhanced NLR's CSP Optical Facilities through strategic upgrades, rigorous maintenance, and stakeholder-guided research. By overcoming equipment failures, budgetary constraints, and logistical hurdles, the project has reinforced NLR's role as a central hub for CSP innovation and materials testing. Future work will focus on securing diverse funding, expanding collaborations, and continuing to provide the critical infrastructure needed to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation technologies.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗