Dr. Jinpeng Wei

Dr Jinpeng Wei’s research explores the security of industrial control systems and the resilience of critical infrastructure. His recent work focuses on understanding how advanced malware can disrupt the stability and operation of the power grid. This project examines real world industrial control system malware, including the Industroyer family, to study how these threats interact with power distribution networks.

His team built a comprehensive testbed that integrates GridLab-D simulation with a custom developed IEC 104 server, allowing detailed analysis of malware driven disruptions in power system operations. By adapting Industroyer samples to function within a virtual machine based environment, they demonstrated how malicious code can alter switch states and influence the behavior of distribution networks through industrial control protocols.

The project also developed a framework that enables a live malware sample to send unauthorized commands from an engineering workstation to an emulated power grid using the HELICS co-simulation platform. This work offers important insight into the operational capabilities of sophisticated industrial control system attacks and supports the creation of stronger security mechanisms for protecting critical grid infrastructure.