HSARPA seeks cyberdefense R&D

HSARPA's Cyber Security Research and Development Broad Agency Announcement

Officials at the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) released a broad agency announcement this week about the development and deployment of technologies to protect the nation's critical cyberinfrastructure.

Officials in the agency's Cyber Security Research and Development program hope to improve the security of current and emergency technologies and systems; develop new and enhanced technologies to detect, prevent and respond to cyberattacks; and transfer such technologies into the national infrastructure.

The Sept. 10 announcement seeks research and development in seven technical areas, including:

Better vulnerability protection in existing and emerging systems and networks.

Tools and techniques to identify, analyze and eliminate latent vulnerabilities.

Cybersecurity assessment of information systems, including metrics and analysis.

Better security and reliability of critical infrastructures that rely on computers.

New security services, authentication and access control mechanisms for computer-based WiFi networks in addition to better security for cooperative ad hoc networks.

Better forensics methods and tools to trace and identify hackers.

Technologies to defend against identity theft.

Officials at HSARPA, which is part of the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate, expect as much as $4.5 million will be available for multiple awards under this solicitation. They will hold a bidders conference Sept. 23 at the Hilton Crystal City in Arlington, Va., and there will be a $145 registration fee at sign in.

According to the schedule, bidders could submit a white paper by Oct. 6, a full proposal by Dec. 1, and officials will announce the awards Jan. 18, 2005.