Sudarshan Thirumalai

My research centers on strengthening the security and resilience of tactical microgrids and critical data center infrastructure. I focus on evaluating how these mission-dependent energy systems behave under adversarial conditions and on identifying weaknesses that affect operational safety, continuity, and reliability. Much of my work involves red teaming tactical microgrid deployments and distributed energy environments to understand where cyber-physical vulnerabilities arise and how they can be leveraged in realistic scenarios. From these assessments, I develop security strategies and defensive approaches that help operators improve the protection of their power resources and maintain stable operation in the presence of evolving cyber threats.