DHS opens up infrastructure protection program

What: A combined synopsis/solicitation for Financial Services Cyber Security Active Defense technologies, issued by the Department of Homeland Security's Silicon Valley Innovation Program.

Why: The global financial services sector is a frequent target of cybercriminals and other hackers. Under its Next Generation Cyber Infrastructure Apex Program, DHS officials want to address financial-sector vulnerabilities, along with cybersecurity risks in other key infrastructure areas.

The program seeks to rapidly identify and develop technologies that can counter emerging cyberthreats. The U.S. financial services sector is considered the most pressing priority.

The Silicon Valley Innovation Program is built around the "other transactions authority" in federal contracting, which allows DHS to conduct procurements with the kind of speed and agility more commonly associated with the private sector.

The solicitation, which is open through Nov. 21, 2017, seeks novel ideas and technologies to improve dynamic defense and assurance for financial services infrastructure. Officials are interested in supporting innovation in three areas: intrusion deception, moving target defense, and isolation and containment.

The initial three years of the Apex program will focus on integrating the capabilities into the financial services sector, but in later phases, the tools and technologies will be adapted to a broader section of critical infrastructure, including the government, energy and communications sectors.

Click here to read the full solicitation.