Danish Saleem
Researcher IV-Cyber Security & Resilience
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 Systems, IEEE 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 Security, Energies 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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