New tech detects cyber threats by monitoring power use

Researchers from Canada’s University of Waterloo have developed a new technology designed to protect governments and businesses from cyber attacks by monitoring for unusual power consumption trends.

The technology uses a small piece of hardware to collect data, and crunches the data using AI software to determine if owner usage in a system is inconsistent with known, predictable patterns and send an alert to security teams.

For example, a spike in power usage in particular patterns across several machines can be a sign attackers are spreading crypto-ransomware inside an organisation’s network.

The team have established spinoff company Palitronica to test the technology across several municipalities of Ontario, and to eventually commercialise the technology.

University of Waterloo Engineering and Computer Science Professor Sebastian Fischmeister said the technology is being designed to complement — not replace — existing security controls such as network intrusion detection, and has a wide variety of potential applications.

“It could be used to protect network equipment and computers, but also water supply, 5G infrastructure, trains and airplanes — we can protect anything that consumes power,” he said.

He added that the technology was developed across projects backed by Canadian government agencies including the Department of National Defence, as well as defence and critical infrastructure industry partners.

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