  When the electric grid in a region suffers a major outage, e.g., after a
catastrophic cyber attack, a "black start" may be required, where the grid is
slowly restarted, carefully and incrementally adding generating capacity and
demand. To ensure safe and effective black start, the grid control center has
to be able to communicate with field personnel and with supervisory control and
data acquisition (SCADA) systems. Voice and text communication are particularly
critical. As part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Rapid Attack Detection, Isolation, and Characterization Systems (RADICS)
program, we designed, tested and evaluated a self-configuring mesh network
architecture and prototype called the Phoenix Secure Emergency Network
(PhoenixSEN). PhoenixSEN is designed as a drop-in replacement for primary
communication networks, combines existing and new technologies, can work with a
variety of link-layer protocols, emphasizes manageability and
auto-configuration, and provides a core set of services and applications for
coordination of people and devices including voice, text, and SCADA
communication. The PhoenixSEN prototype was evaluated in the field through a
series of DARPA-led exercises. The same system is also likely to support
coordination of recovery efforts after large-scale natural disasters.
