Cybersecurity

DARPA edges closer to using AI to expose cyber vulnerabilities

Next year, seven teams will compete to polish off a best-case model that meshes AI and cybersecurity to detect and fix open-source vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

People

DARPA hires Twitter whistleblower to serve as its CIO

Peiter “Mudge” Zatko — the former security head of then-Twitter who alleged that the platform was overlooking critical security flaws — will be returning to DARPA after almost a decade away in the private sector.

Cybersecurity

CYBERCOM, DARPA pen agreement to speed up advanced cyberwarfare research

The accord follows a 2022 announcement of the joint-agency Constellation cyber prototyping program.

Artificial Intelligence

DARPA’s massive defensive AI challenge begins in December

The original announcement of the AIxCC challenge — and its millions in prize money — made waves at Black Hat 2023.

Artificial Intelligence

Inside DARPA’s search for an 'autonomous scientist' to support its researchers

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is on the hunt for foundational AI models that can aid in the scientific discovery process.

Artificial Intelligence

White House and DARPA challenge innovators to bring AI tools to cyber defense

The AI Cyber Challenge asks leading companies to develop advanced AI systems that will contribute to critical infrastructure cybersecurity — with nearly $20 million available in prizes.

Acquisition

DARPA kicks off prep for $1B contract

Work is underway on the recompete of this technical services vehicle that supports research efforts.

Acquisition

DARPA's Pandemic Prevention Platform

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, DARPA's 10 years of funding research and development on DNA and RNA vaccines, including a $25 million award to Moderna to help establish its messenger RNA platform, proved critical.

Modernization

Can JADC2 fly without budget reform?

Tim Grayson, the director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Strategic Technology Office, said there's a risk that "monolithic platforms get replaced with monolithic architectures."

Cybersecurity

DARPA's new hardware proves tough to crack

The Defense Department's advanced research arm has early results from its effort to prove that re-engineering hardware makes for fewer cyber vulnerabilities.

Modernization

Twin shared-spectrum efforts close in on milestones

Two trailblazing efforts backed by DARPA and the FCC to share radio spectrum among federal and commercial users will hit significant milestones in the coming weeks.

Digital Government

The semantics of disinformation

DARPA thinks it can detect automated disinformation campaigns across a range of media by focusing on common machine-generated errors.

Modernization

Can battlefield drones spot threats to troops?

Army Lt. Col. Philip Root, the acting deputy director for DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office, explains how the DOD plans to operationalize autonomous systems, forever changing the human-machine relationship.

Modernization

Aviation automation climbs new heights with ALIAS

The Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System is expected to complete its first fly-by-wire experiment as early as May.

Cybersecurity

DARPA takes on cyber defense with hackathons

Dr. Jennifer Roberts, program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s information innovation office, talks about what cyber capabilities are in the works.

Cybersecurity

DARPA to test secure warfighter mobile devices in June

DOD's research arm is getting ready to test mobile devices that permit information-sharing across multiple security levels from a single platform.

Digital Government

DARPA digs into underground mapping

The research arm of the Defense Department looks to a Colorado mine for next leg of its tunnel mapping tech challenge.

Cybersecurity

DARPA probes tech to solve supply chain uncertainty

DARPA and private companies are looking to improve supply chain security through the use of tiny chips and diamonds that can authenticate IT parts used by the government.

Modernization

DARPA wants innovative research to mind the GAPS

The military research outfit wants to find a better way to securely transfer sensitive data from air-gapped DOD systems to less secure, internet-facing ones.

Acquisition

DARPA funds next-generation AI

The $2 billion "AI Next" campaign aims to transform computers from specialized tools to partners with contextual reasoning capabilities.