Cyberguardians Training: Introduction to Cybersecurity in the Smart Energy Environment

Course Cost: $895 (scholarships available for qualifying military veterans)

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Course Format [27 Course Hours / 9 Weeks]: This is an online course with pre-recorded weekly lectures. Other learning activities include reading assignments, quizzes, videos of narrated PowerPoint presentations, discussion forums, and an individual project.

Course Description: With increasing numbers of IoT devices being connected to the Internet, cybersecurity has become a vital requirement for the safe, reliable, and secure operation of those devices. Cybersecurity is especially important for a Smart Energy DER device as it is connected to the critical electric grid infrastructure. Understanding the threats in the Smart Energy environment, the tools available to combat the threats, and how to apply these tools are important skills for successfully installing and maintaining Smart Energy DER devices. This course will introduce participants to cybersecurity topics including the purpose of cybersecurity, what are the cybersecurity threats, and how do we protect against them. Some of the key components of cybersecurity such as encryption and the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) will be examined in detail. Finally, the course analyzes and applies cybersecurity specifically in the Smart Energy DER use case and the IEEE 2030.5 communication standard.