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Mueller,
Milton L.
Mueller,
Milton L.
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ItemEnergy Infrastructure and Industrial Data: Between Global Data Policies and an Evolving iIoT Environment(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2021) Farhat, Karim ; Mueller, Milton L.This paper identifies the factors shaping Industrial Data (ID) use and sharing among Southeastern energy firms. The research questions underlying this study are: 1. What factors affect an energy firm’s decision to use and share ID 2. To what extent does ID use entail strategic or collaborative sharing arrangements with other firms 3. What are the procedures by which these arrangements take shape? Contrary to other research findings, agglomeration economies and locational advantages based on Information Technology (IT) infrastructure were not drivers of ID development in the Southeast. Data localization and data protection laws were also not found to influence how Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) handle transnational data flows. The decision-making procedures by which ID arrangements take shape instead depend on strategic choices around data management and the evolution of the cloud services market. Business model adaptation among OEMs has significant impacts on data management practices. While diversified energy service offerings remain sparse among Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), OEMs are experiencing an increased complementarity of demand between goods and services as they start to divest from central power generation. For example, demand for gas turbines or transformers coupled with demand for analytics services to minimize failure and downtimes was indicative of a shift from isolated products to services built around products. In the ongoing convergence environment between IT and legacy Operational Technology (OT), access to data is more relevant than ownership. The ownership of intellectual property in software and algorithms that enable the continued use and reuse of data for various business ends drives firms’ competitive advantages. However, despite the flexibility afforded by the latest opensource developments in data management, such as container platforms, we found no evidence of energy firms sufficiently leveraging these tools. Our analysis of the role of standards in the ID ecosystem’s evolution shows no risk of serious harm due to vendor lock-in, particularly in the smart grid. The path-dependent inertia of IEEE 1815/DNP3, lack of awareness and perceived benefit of IEC 61850, and strategic OEM preferences for DNP3 involve the kinds of switching costs that are to be expected in a competitive market environment. These costs are dependent on the economic and organizational barriers defining the position of the utility in question along its technological migration path (legacy infrastructure, hybrid systems, or fully digital substations). Costs for deployment may progressively shrink as legacy infrastructure continues to be replaced. We recommend that Investor-Owned Utilities better leverage the capabilities that data science has to offer and foster ongoing relationships with large OEMs or third-party energy service providers with proven track-records of providing added business value. As a matter of regional economic policy, methods to facilitate market entry for third-party energy service providers should be explored.
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ItemLeveraging Energy Data for the Benefit of Society and Consumers(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020-10) Farhat, Karim ; Mueller, Milton L. ; Schaub, Matt ; Simmons, Richard A. ; Murphy, SharonIndustrial data (ID) has the potential to play a key role in finding efficiencies in energy markets and thus lower rates for consumers. The realm of industrial data within the energy sector encompasses a broad ecosystem involving many stakeholders. This policy brief is intended to focus specifically on implications for Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), energy service and technology providers including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), policymakers, and researchers, as well as interactions among them. Within this construct, we find that: • IOUs could better leverage data analytics to utilize capital, natural resources, and public infrastructure more efficiently; • ID could lead to better alignment of incentives between utilities and policy/regulation; • Methods to facilitate market entry for local third-party energy service providers should be explored to benefit the regional economy and to avoid ceding leadership to foreign or out-of-state competition; • More collaboration within the standards space and during the standards deliberation process is warranted (in particular between OEMs and energy providers); • ID and energy stakeholders have an obligation and opportunity to improve regulations for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) with future implications on grid cybersecurity; • Coordination and R&D among utilities, policymakers and research institutions can enhance and accelerate knowledge diffusion and beneficial outcomes for owners, consumers, and the environment.
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ItemWhat Can Social Science Contribute to Cybersecurity Attribution Research?(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-09-15) Mueller, Milton L.How can we develop an institutional framework that can facilitate the provision of authoritative public attributions on a global scale? In cybersecurity cases, we want to know not only who did it (i.e., which individuals were responsible for an intrusion, exploit or attack), but also who is responsible or who they were working for. Ideally, the attribution should satisfy not only ourselves, but many others. That is, we want the forms and methods of attribution to produce inter-subjective legitimacy and validity, even among parties who might be antagonistic or have radically different interests and perspectives. In our view, the achievement of inter-subjectivity in cyber attributions would be an institutional accomplishment, not just a forensic or technological accomplishment. This presentation explores some of the issues and problems raised by authoritative public attribution in the international arena.
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ItemCyber MayDay: Who Is in Command When Your Business is in the Crosshairs and How Do You Respond?(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-05-01) Cross, Stephen ; Graves, John Thomas ; Lens, John ; Mueller, Milton L. ; Pair, Stephen ; Sinema, Krysten ; Swire, Peter ; Worley, CandaceRep. Tom Graves (R-Ga. 14), in cooperation with the Georgia Institute of Technology, hosts a conversation for executives and thought leaders in Atlanta about cybersecurity policy and technical challenges that are stifling industry innovation today and leaving companies vulnerable. Of importance to discuss: Who protects critical business infrastructure from cyberattacks? What forms of retaliation should be permissible? Should companies be allowed to take active-defense measures? What will deter hackers? When governments engage in nation-state cyberattacks, how can businesses avoid becoming a proxy battleground? How can public policy be improved to help industry and governments protect one another?