Louisiana State University (LSU) said it has become the first university in the nation to partner with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), and Idaho National Laboratory to launch a new model for cybersecurity focused on protecting critical energy infrastructure.
Central to this initiative is the Tiger Skid, a custom-built cyber-physical training and testing platform that simulates real-world energy systems and industrial processes vulnerable to cyber-physical attacks. Installed at LSU’s Petroleum Engineering Research, Training, and Testing Lab, the Tiger Skid will give energy companies and government agencies access to a hands-on environment to test, train, and develop cybersecurity solutions in operational technology (OT) settings.
Tiger Skid is part of CISA’s Control Environment Laboratory Resource program and marks the first time such a platform is deployed on a university campus. It will serve not only LSU students but also energy industry professionals across the Gulf Coast, helping secure operations against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats targeting the sector.
“CISA and DHS S&T looked at the long-term benefits,” said Alex Reniers, threat-hunting section chief at CISA “Not only will LSU’s energy industry partners be using the Tiger Skid, but we’ll have college kids using and training on control systems environments—they’re getting that unique OT cybersecurity experience, which means we’re creating a pipeline for future workforce. The outcomes will greatly benefit national labs, control system owner-operators, government agencies, and our nation’s critical infrastructure.”
This partnership strengthens the energy industry’s ability to defend against attacks on critical systems and supports the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals with specialized training in the OT environments that underpin modern energy infrastructure.