Building on the success of the first edition, the 2nd International Workshop on Information Integration in Cyber Physical Systems (IICPS 2015) is soliciting quality submissions in all areas relevant to the design and operation of Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs).

CPSs are increasingly being adopted in a wide range of applicative domains, including the smart grid, building automation, and air traffic control, to name a few. While the widespread adoption of CPSs brings enormous benefits in terms of efficiency and competitiveness, it also introduces new challenges that the research community has to consider. The December 2010 report of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, “Designing a Digital Future: Federally Funded Research and Development in Networking and Information Technology” calls for continued investment in CPS research because of its scientific and technological importance as well as its potential impact on grand challenges in a number of sectors critical to U.S. security and competitiveness, including energy, aerospace, automotive, civil infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation.

The goal of the workshop is to address this critical need by providing researchers and practitioners with an interdisciplinary forum to present, discuss, and exchange ideas that address the challenges of next-generation Cyber Physical Systems. The expected output of the workshop is to establish the agenda of future research efforts in the field data integration, with specific emphasis on disruptive technologies and holistic approaches for addressing the grand challenges introduced by CPSs. The workshop also aims at creating solid and long-lasting synergies between researchers and industrial partners from all the disciplines that are relevant to CPSs.

For information about visas, conference hotel, registration, and student travel grants, please refer to the main conference website.

Keynote Speaker

Steven R. Omick  

Dr. Steven R. Omick
President
Applied Communications Sciences

Title: Sharing the cost of cyber security

Abstract

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) in the electric utility industry include a heterogeneous mix of computing equipment, network protocols, and physical processes that are unique to each utility. From the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that monitor and control generation and transmission infrastructure, out to the Distribution Automation (DA) equipment in the delivery network, and finally to the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) on the customer edge, these networks present a compelling need for both operational situational awareness and cyber security. However, as with many large scale CPS’s, the cost of keeping the electric system cyber secure while at the same time maintaining operational oversight is daunting. In fact, many utilities cannot afford separate systems to provide each of these critical functions.

In the electric utility, collection of the heterogeneous wireless and wired network data that represents the system at any given moment can help provide the needed data even though the ways this data is analyzed and used within the organization is quite different. We show that organizational cost savings can be accomplished by sharing the cost of instrumenting the utility and providing a set of tools and services that provide a cross-functional value for both cyber security and operations, engineering and field diagnostics.

Speaker's Bio

Dr. Omick is the President of Applied Communications Sciences (ACS) a leading provider of research, consulting and technology solutions that drive market innovation across government and multiple industry sectors. ACS is a wholly owned subsidiary and the applied research lab for Vencore Inc. ACS provides innovations in cyber security, knowledge based systems, quantum computing, data analytics, mobile networking, and rf communications.

Prior to joining Vencore, Dr. Omick was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rincon Research Corporation, a provider of digital signal processing (DSP) products and engineering services for the U.S. Government Intelligence Community. An 18-year veteran of the intelligence community, Dr. Omick joined RRC in 1996 as a research engineer. Initially he was responsible for designing and developing prototype digital communications capabilities for the U.S. Government using a highly specialized signal processing development environment pioneered at RRC. In 2004, RRC named Dr. Omick as Director of Government Business, responsible for a major engineering business unit. In 2006, Dr. Omick became RRC’s President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for day-to-day operations and technical oversight of all government business. In 2011, Dr. Omick was appointed RRC’s President and CEO, where he provided leadership for the company’s 200-person workforce. He also served on RRC’s board of directors.

Originally from Iowa City, Iowa, Dr. Omick considers himself a native of New Mexico. He earned his Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering in 1986; his Master degree in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis on Power and Control Systems in 1987; and his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Computational Electromagnetics in 1993.