Jen Sims - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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Wednesday, Apr 01, 2026 04:30pm - 05:30pm ET
Analyzing Supply Chain Risk in Mobile Applications for Home Energy Storage Systems
Apr 01, 2026
Abstract
The rapid adoption of mobile applications for managing consumer whole-house battery and energy systems has introduced new questions about software supply chain security. While these applications are not currently integrated with critical infrastructure, their growing role in connected energy environments highlights the importance of understanding the dependencies,permissions, and external services that support their operation. Many of these applications rely on shared third-party libraries, analytics frameworks, and messaging services, creating overlapping software ecosystems across vendors.In this talk, I will present an analysis of several battery-management mobile applications using static and dynamic analysis techniques. The study examines third-party dependencies, Android permission usage, and outbound network activity to identify common software components and shared external infrastructure. The results reveal significant overlap in libraries and permissions across applications, suggesting that vulnerabilities in widely used components could introduce shared risk pathways across multiple vendors. This work highlights the need for stronger dependency governance,permission minimization, and ongoing monitoring as mobile energy applications continue to evolve.
About the Speaker
Jen earned a Master of Software Engineering and a Bachelor of Computer Science with a concentration in Secure Cyber Systems from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). During her time at UTEP, she founded the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) student chapter and helped launch the university's summer cybersecurity camps.
Outside of her research, Jen is passionate about workforce development and cybersecurity education, volunteering with Oak Ridge Computer Science Girls (ORCsGirls) and creating hands-on cybersecurity activities to inspire the next generation of students.
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