ARLINGTON, Va. - The Office of Naval Research has awarded Integer Technologies in Columbia, S.C., a $23.1 million contract to investigate zero-trust cybersecurity frameworks for naval shipboard power systems.
The $23,133,600 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract supports the Threat Resilient Integrated Defense for Enhanced Naval Technologies (TRIDENT) program. The research will address the cyber-physical security of shipboard electrical systems, where cybersecurity measures must protect digital controls and physical equipment without disrupting time-sensitive operations.
Integer Technologies is forming a team with Florida State University and its Center for Advanced Power Systems to perform the work. The effort aims to enable naval platforms to monitor their cyber and physical state, dynamically adjust their cybersecurity posture in response to threats, and maintain power-system performance during adversarial attacks.
Zero-trust architecture (ZTA) is a cybersecurity approach that does not automatically trust users, devices, or software simply because they are connected to an authorized network. Instead, it requires verifying and continuously evaluating access according to security policies. In embedded and operational technology systems, this approach can help restrict unauthorized access to controllers, sensors, and other equipment while monitoring for suspicious activity. Applying zero trust to shipboard power systems adds an engineering challenge: security measures must protect digital controls without introducing delays or disruptions that could affect real-time electrical-system operation.
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The research will address the low-latency requirements of integrated power systems and the challenges of incorporating both legacy and modern equipment. The work aligns with the Navy's broader zero-trust cybersecurity initiative, which calls for stronger protection of operational technology and weapon systems. Unlike traditional security models that rely on network boundaries, zero trust requires verifying access to systems and resources rather than assuming users or devices are trustworthy based on their location within a network.
The contract includes a 36-month base period and a 36-month option period that begins 12 months after execution and runs concurrently with the base period. The Navy obligated $10,133,600 in fiscal 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation funds to fully fund the base period.
The Office of Naval Research competitively procured the contract under its long-range broad agency announcement for Navy and Marine Corps science and technology. The Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity (N0001427C1303).
Work will be performed in Columbia, S.C., and is expected to be completed in October 2030.
