Senior Design

Implementing OpenPLCS In A CDC

Project Statement

Our task is to explore the OpenPLC project and determine how it can be implemented into a Cyber Defense Competition (CDC), with the intention of simulating a real-world cyber physical environment. We have chosen to use Factory I/O to virtualize a real world factory for the teams to secure.

Purpose

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), many physical systems are now relying on network connectivity to provide functionality to users. These systems are often large, and provide an invaluable service such as power or water management. In addition, they are often undersecured. By incorporating the OpenPLC project (which simulates the PLC hardware required to control and monitor these types of systems) into the CDC, we hope to provide the competition’s contestants with valuable experience in securing cyber physical systems from malicious actors.

My Role

With my experience as a Software Developer in Test, I took on the role of a Test Engineer for my Senior Design Project. I focused primarily on ensuring that throughout the software development phase my team was making wise decisions in sustainability, testability, and quality for our project. This included setting up a testing plan, for not only unit testing, but also user testing and putting our product in front of the right users to ensure the product was tested as it would be used. It also included setting quality guidelines for code formatting and code-reviews.

Team Website: Project Page