Mitacs intern strengthens cybersecurity for Hydro-Québec’s EV charging network

The challenge: A growing network with uncharted security risks 

Hydro-Québec operates one of the largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in North America. As EV charging infrastructure expands and becomes more integrated with the power grid, it introduces new cybersecurity risks that must be systematically evaluated and managed. 

A major challenge in the industry has been the absence of quantitative security metrics and frameworks for assessing the overall physical, cyber and operational security posture of EV charging ecosystems, including charging stations, communication protocols, and the grid-connected backend systems that support them. To address this, the Hydro-Québec Research Institute (IREQ) needed to bring together academic and industry expertise to develop a comprehensive framework for safeguarding the EV system across Québec. 

The solution: A Mitacs intern’s structured security framework 

To address this challenge, Saba Marandi, a PhD student in Information Systems Engineering at the Concordia Institute of Information and Systems Engineering (CIISE) joined the IREQ team as a Mitacs intern. S. Marandi brought together academic research expertise and industry context to develop a comprehensive security assessment framework tailored to Hydro-Québec’s EV ecosystem. 

The work involved systematically identifying and classifying attack surfaces across EV charging infrastructure components and communication layers – in other words, the entry points that could leave the system vulnerable to cyber attacks or other security risks. The next step involved designing quantitative metrics to assess risks and evaluate the effectiveness of defensive measures. Finally, the project focused on developing a formal threat modeling methodology grounded in industry standards. 

“This internship at IREQ exemplified the value of work-integrated learning,” said Dr. Chadi Assi Professor, Cybersecurity and Intelligent Systems Engineering at Concordia University who supervised S. Marandi throughout her internship. “The intern’s ability to develop and apply sophisticated security assessment methodologies in an industry context produced research outcomes that are both scientifically sound and directly relevant to Hydro-Québec’s operational priorities.”   

The framework gave IREQ a practical tool for measuring and comparing security vulnerabilities across different system configurations — enabling more strategic prioritization of cybersecurity investments across the charging network. 

S. Marandi developed a structured security framework for evaluating the cyber and operational security risks in EV charging ecosystems. 

The outcome: A reinforced cybersecurity system for EVs 

The security metrics and threat modeling methodology developed during this internship are directly applicable to Hydro-Québec’s operational environment. Additionally, the collaboration contributed to peer-reviewed journal articles, reinforcing the research partnership between Concordia University and IREQ and advancing the research discussion around EV infrastructure security. 

“This internship experience was transformative. Through direct engagement with Hydro-Québec’s infrastructure and expert research teams, I was able to significantly strengthen my expertise in applied security research, industry-relevant threat modeling, and scientific communication.” 

Saba Marandi, phd student, Concordia Institute of Information and Systems Engineering (CIISE)

A key part of a Mitacs internship is bridging the gap between classroom research and industry application. For Hydro-Québec and IREQ, this collaboration delivered a practical cybersecurity tool aligned with real operational priorities. For S. Marandi, it was an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to one of Canada’s — and the world’s — leading hydroelectricity supplier. 

About Mitacs  

For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. We support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.  

As a national innovation connector, Mitacs takes a talent-first approach to strengthen innovation capacity and drive global competitiveness. We serve as an essential research-commercialization bridge, accelerating market entry and growth for new products and services.  

This is a critical time for Canada to think big and take bold action. Mitacs is ready to help build a strong and resilient Canadian economy, powered by ideas, talent and innovation.  

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.