Communications of the ACM
Cybersecurity Innovations on View at R&D Showcase
Credit: Kean University
Responding to the full spectrum of cyber threats that adversaries present to the U.S. government, private organizations, and critical infrastructure sectors, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will unveil more than 40 technologies, tools, and techniques — developed in response to real world requirements — to protect and secure the United States and drive the future of cybersecurity. The unveiling will take place at the Cyber Security Division 2014 R&D Showcase and Workshop next month in Washington D.C.
The R&D Showcase presentation will feature technologies that will improve cybersecurity across critical U.S. infrastructure areas including cyber economic incentives, forensics, cyber competitions, identity management, Internet measurement, software assurance, research data repositories, and experimental research testbeds. The showcase presents years of R&D and transition-ready technologies and will conclude with a technology demonstration and poster session allowing participants to see more of Cyber Security Division's research portfolio.
In 2011, based on the Administration's Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, Financial Services Sector Research and Development Plan and DHS's National Protection and Programs Directorate requirements, CSD collected current and future cybersecurity capability gaps and requirements from government and industry partners to issue a five-year, 14-topic broad agency announcement (BAA) solicitation. The government uses a BAA to announce its interest in funding research on a given topic or focus area.
"The BAA was based on requirements that came from our customers' partners," says CSD Program Manager and R&D Showcase Lead Dan Massey. "With this showcase, we're showing them the result of the research aimed at the requirements they put on the table. For participants not providing requirements, we want to show them research we're conducting, technologies available for commercialization, and innovative research currently underway. And if these participants have cybersecurity gaps or requirement needs, we want to start a conversation with them to see how DHS S&T can provide a solution."
Some of the technologies are complete and ready to transition to a commercially available product or made the transition earlier this year.
"Every technology is different and will have different impacts on our nation's security," says CSD Director Doug Maughan. "But all will provide capabilities that weren't there before — not only to DHS components, but also for our nation's critical infrastructure and research community."
For example, one technology that will be showcased allows law enforcement, after they arrest an individual, to conduct a computer forensics extraction of data from mobile devices in one day or less, Maughan says. Without this technology, devices must be sent to a laboratory where it can take weeks or months to get the results.
Also being showcased is the Defense Technology Experimental Research (DETER) testbed, which continually evolves to support research and development for the security and resilience of critical cyber infrastructure and the Internet.
Funded entities will provide demonstrations and discuss the current state of their research projects. Typically this event is closed to the general public. This year, for the first time, CSD is opening the showcase to the public.
In addition to partners in DHS and throughout the federal, state, and local governments, CSD has invited cybersecurity private sector partners from the oil and gas, finance, information technology, and energy sectors. Many of CSD's international partners will also attend.
"This is the chance to really showcase the technologies developed based on user input and requirements," Massey says. "From a cybersecurity R&D perspective, this is also one of the best meetings of the year. Cybersecurity professionals will get to see where the field is going and what the future looks like."
The showcase is an opportunity for partners looking for specific cybersecurity technologies as well as those who want to partner with CSD in the future.
"We are reaching back to past customers as well as reaching out to new organizations," Maughan says. "These technologies were built based on customer and partner requirements. Not only will they see the technologies, but so will other potential customers. We've done the R&D, now we're putting the technology in the hands of operational users. That's what we're trying to do across S&T: provide more value to our DHS component customers. But cybersecurity is a global sport — and that broadens our value."
Registration information for the 2014 Cyber Security Division R&D Showcase is available at http://events.SignUp4.com/2014RDShowcase.
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