AFRL partners with Northern Arizona University, DOD Labs and Industry

Personnel from the Air Force Research Laboratory joined dozens of industry and military partners at Northern Arizona University Feb. 25 to discuss a multimillion-dollar cybersecurity project headed by Professor Bertrand Cambou.

Cambou, a professor of nanotechnology and cybersecurity in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS), is the principal investigator on a grant from the U.S. Air Force to develop nanotechnology solutions to cyberattacks and cyber warfare. SICCS professor Paul Flikkema is the PI on a grant aimed at developing hardware for computer diversity. Together, the grants total $6.3 million and include a dozen researchers and students at NAU.

Because of the complexity and constantly changing nature of cybersecurity and computing diversity issues, the Department of Defense brought in additional partners to aid in the transfer of technologies, which is always a huge task. That group met at NAU to seek clarity on the critical tasks and objectives of the work.

"Not only are these complicated issues, but the work of about 12 faculty members at NAU has to be coordinated with seven different organizations," Cambou said. "Therefore, we are implementing a process to drive the program management of the entire program."

Partners from the Air Force Research Lab's Information Directorate, Space Vehicles Directorate and Materials and Manufacturing Directorate; the Office of Naval Research; Sandia National Laboratory; Lockheed Martin; and Crossbar Inc. are part of this project, which has two major goals:

+ to develop key technology modules that will enable new forms of protection across the landscape of cybersecurity needs, including physical unclonable functions, cryptography, blockchain and key distribution

+ to develop and combine several new technologies, including innovations in microelectronics and the design of computer hardware, to improve the ability of computers to fend off cyberattacks

"AFRL and NAU are national leaders in this area of research," said Don Telesca, chief of the AFRL High Performance Systems Branch and a partner in this research. This workshop is important because the collaboration among academic, industry and government agencies ensures the right pipeline of expertise, from basic research to technology transition, is covered.

"Hackers and cyber-criminals continuously probe and attack legacy infrastructure that was not designed to combat the ever-evolving complex assaults," Telesca said. "With the existing infrastructure continuing to be weak to cyberattacks, it is time to consider radical architectural and infrastructural changes intended to disrupt the status quo and support a healthier cybersecurity ecosystem through computational diversity."

"We are excited and honored that AFRL recognizes our faculty's innovative approach in identifying nontraditional solutions to the increasing danger of cyberattacks and cyber warfare," NAU President Rita Cheng said as she welcomed the group. "The impact of this work reaches all corners of modern life, helping to protect factories, power plants, transportation systems, drones, personal medical devices and much more."

Related Links
Air Force Research Laboratory
Military Space News at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

U.S. Space Force gets first offensive weapon, a satellite jammer
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 16, 2020
The U.S. Space Force announced its first offensive weapon, a ground-based communications jammer to block satellite transmissions. The Space Force announced Friday that Counter Communication System Block 10.2 achieved Initial Operating Capability earlier this month. It was transferred from the Los Angeles AFB to Peterson AFB, Colo., after being declared operational by the Air Force Space and Missile Center's special programs directorate. The portable CCS temporarily denies satellite commu ... read more