James Kirtley

James Kirtley is a Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology affiliated with the Center for Resilient Electric Energy Delivery Systems (CREDC). He holds leadership roles in advancing cybersecurity frameworks for electric energy infrastructure and developing system-thinking approaches to prevent physical damage in operational technology environments.

His research spans power systems resilience, critical infrastructure protection, and cyber-physical security with emphasis on Electric Distribution Systems (EDS). Key initiatives include creating a formal EDS cybersafety analysis discipline and the 'PreventOTPhysDamage' project focused on anticipating catastrophic OT failures through holistic system modeling.

As a core member of CREDC, Professor Kirtley collaborates across engineering disciplines to strengthen national electric grid security through integrated research, technology development, and cross-institutional partnerships addressing emerging threats to energy delivery systems.