DARPA challenges industry for new ideas on cyber security technologies of the future

ARLINGTON, Va., 19 Aug. 2011. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Information Innovation Office (I2O) in Arlington, Va., is asking companies and colleges for ideas on technologies to safeguard U.s. Department of Defense (DOD) computer systems in the event of a cyber attack.DARPA issued a request for information (DARPA-SN-11-55) this week entitled Future Directions in Cyber Security that poses three fundamental questions related to national information security:1. At present, attackers in cyberspace seem to have the initiative and hence the advantage. What specific technologies should DARPA develop to address the imbalance?2. Attacks on embedded computing systems have received much attention. What specific technologies should DARPA develop to secure embedded computing systems?3. If DARPA could only invest in one cyber-security research area, what should that be and why?

DARPA is inviting the nation's cyber security experts to offer answers to these questions, and based on their answers, DARPA experts may invite them to a meeting on 7 Nov. 2011 called the DARPA Colloquium on Future Directions in Cyber Security, at which the DARPA director will give a keynote address, and leaders from government and industry, as well as DARPA program managers, will discuss current and future cyber research directions.

Attendance at the DARPA Colloquium is by invitation only and space is limited, officials say.

To respond to DARPA questions and become candidates for the DARPA Colloquium, e-mail answers as an attachment in a commonly used format to [email protected] no later than Friday, 9 Sept. 2011. Representatives of DARPA and DARPA support contractors will review answers they receive.

For questions or concerns, e-mail DARPA at [email protected]. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-SN-11-55/listing.html.

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