From: Military & Aerospace Electronics

Posted by John Keller

ARLINGTON, Va., 11 July 2013. Information security experts at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., have chosen six companies so far to define ways of understanding, planning, and managing military cyber warfare operations in real-time, large-scale, and dynamic networks.

DARPA has awarded six contracts collectively worth nearly $74 million for the Foundational Cyberwarfare (Plan X) project to conduct research into the nature of cyber warfare, and to develop strategies to seize and maintain U.S. cyber security and cyber attack dominance.

The contracts, awarded between 31 May and 1 July, are to Data Tactics Corp. in McLean, Va.; Intific Inc. in Peckville Pa.; Raytheon SI Government Solutions in Arlington, Va.; Aptima Inc. in Woburn Mass.; Apogee Research LLC in McLean, Va.; and the Northrop Grumman Corp. Information Systems segment in McLean, Va.

Data Tactics won a $25.8 million contract on 31 May, Intific won a $25 million contract on 13 June, Raytheon SI won a $9.8 million contract on 31 May, Aptima won a $6.6 million contract on 1 July, Apogee Research won a $5 million contract on 24 June, and Northrop Grumman won a $1.9 million contract on 27 June. More contracts may yet be awarded.

Cyberspace — defined as a collection of computer networks using many protocols, as well as devices ranging from super computers to embedded systems — is emerging as a new warfighting domain, DARPA scientists point out. As a result, the military is seeking to measure, quantify, and understand cyberspace.

Today’s understanding of the cyber domain poses integration challenges with existing military capabilities, and connects computers using traceroute, packet analysis, and other techniques. In fact, current research is just beginning to answer questions about the cyber domain, DARPA officials say.

The Plan X program contractors will define a cyber battlespace as three main concepts: network map, operational units, and capability set.

The network map is a collection of nodes and edges, and shows how computers are connected; the network map is where military planners and operators interact.

Operational units are platforms such as ships, aircraft, and armored combat vehicles that are part of the network topology. There are two primary types of operational units: entry nodes and support platforms.

An entry node gives direct physical access into a network, while support platforms control different aspects of an operation — similarly to how military fighters, bombers, and unmanned aircraft a control different aspects of air campaigns.

The capability set involves technologies the military uses to control the cyber battlespace, and are divided into three categories: access, functional, and communication.

Access enables a user to run programs or payloads. Functional involves other types of technology that affect computers and networks, such as network scanners, denial-of-service, defense evasion, network and host reconnaissance, and operating system control. Communication helps entry nodes, support platforms, and system capabilities to exchange information.

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