Danish Saleem

Danish Saleem

Researcher IV-Cyber Security & Resilience


303-384-7336
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Danish Saleem is a senior researcher in NREL’s Energy Security and Resilience Center. He tackles complex foundational research problems, technology commercialization, the policy and practice of cybersecurity, and cybersecurity challenges for inverter-based resources. Saleem also led the development of a national cybersecurity certification program for distributed energy resources (DERs). His R&D portfolio ranges from development of next-generation technology and networking for DER communications to the implementation of security by design through public-private partnerships. Saleem chairs the Laboratory Coordination Committee for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office and serves as vice chair for an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Working Group for 1547.3, the Guide for Cybersecurity of DERs Interconnected with Electric Power Systems. He received his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Florida International University where he received the Real Triumphs Graduates Award (formerly known as Worlds Ahead Graduate award).

Research Interests

Cybersecurity for energy systems

Cybersecurity for device, network, and applications of distributed energy systems

Cyber resilience of autonomous energy systems

Cybersecurity standards for distributed energy and inverter-based resources

Education

M.S., Electrical Engineering, Florida International University

B.S., Electrical Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology

Professional Experience

Senior energy systems cybersecurity researcher, NREL (2022–Present)

Energy systems cybersecurity researcher and project lead, NREL (2020–2022)

Distributed energy resource cybersecurity standards lead, NREL (2018–2019)

Research coordinator, NREL (2017–2018)

Cybersecurity lab manager, NREL (2016–2017)

Research assistant, Florida International University (2016)

Electrical engineer, Descon Power Solutions (2013–2014)

Associations and Memberships

Member, IEEE

Member, IEEE Standards Association

Member, IEEE Power and Energy Society

Featured Work

Modular Security Apparatus for Managing Distributed Cryptography for Command-and-Control Messages on Operational Technology Networks, NREL Technical Report (2022)

Cybersecurity Certification Recommendations for Interconnected Grid Edge Devices and Inverter Based Resource, NREL Technical Report (2021)

Cybersecurity in Photovoltaic Plant Operations, NREL Technical Report (2021)

Intrusion Detection for Cybersecurity of Power Electronics Dominated Grids: Inverters PQ Set-Points Manipulation, IEEE CyberPELS Conference and Workshop (2020)

Certification Procedures for Data and Communications Security of Distributed Energy Resources, NREL Technical Report (2019)

A Multidimensional Holistic Framework for the Security of Distributed Energy and Control SystemsIEEE Systems Journal (2019)

An Overview of Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection, NREL Technical Report (2019)

A Survey of Protocol-Level Challenges and Solutions for Distributed Energy Resource Cyber-Physical SecurityEnergies Journal (2018)

Awards and Honors

NREL Exceptional Performance and Key Contributor Awards (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022)

Real Triumphs Graduates, Florida International University (2016)

Best Urban Concept Design Award, Cyprus Solar Car Challenge, Cyprus (2012)

Electrical Lead of the Shell Eco Marathon Team, Malaysia (2011)


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