HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan Technological University engineer has received funding to develop a system for preventing cyber attacks against electrical substations.

Chee-Wooi Ten has been awarded a $24,000 donation for the project, plus hardware and software worth $210,000. The funding came from Waterfall Security Solutions, a company based in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel.

Substations serve as intersections in America's power grid. Companies are reluctant to fully utilize electronic control systems for substations, fearing hackers could penetrate computer security and cause blackouts.

Ten is an electrical and computer engineering assistant professor at the school in Houghton. He's working with government agencies, power companies and their suppliers to make the substations more secure.

Waterfall Security Solutions makes a gateway system designed to improve on conventional computer firewalls.

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Project details: http://bit.ly/PQ0zcM

Waterfall Security Solutions: http://www.waterfallsecurity.com