As much of the world-wide economy has moved into cyberspace, protecting and assuring information flows over these networks has become a priority. Most networks today rely on the successive discovery of vulnerabilities and deployment of patches to maintain security. Even after patching, new vulnerabilities are often introduced in successive releases, and may even be introduced by the patches themselves. The I2O defensive cyber portfolio is largely focused on changing this paradigm through a variety of methods such as heterogeneity, formal methods proofs, secure code generation, and automation. Exploration of offensive methods is essential to expand and inform defensive work. The I2O portfolio covers a broad space, investigating enterprise networks, secure communications, industrial systems, and purpose-built military systems.
Information Innovation Office (I2O)
http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/I2O/
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
http://www.darpa.mil/
I2O
I2O explores game-changing technologies in the fields of information science and software to anticipate and create rapid shifts in the complex national security landscape. Conflict can occur in traditional domains such as land, sea, air, and space, and in emerging domains such as cyber and other types of irregular warfare. I2O’s research portfolio is focused on anticipating new modes of warfare in these emerging areas and developing the concepts and tools necessary to provide decisive advantage for the U.S. and its allies.
As much of the world-wide economy has moved into cyberspace, protecting and assuring information flows over these networks has become a priority. Most networks today rely on the successive discovery of vulnerabilities and deployment of patches to maintain security. Even after patching, new vulnerabilities are often introduced in successive releases, and may even be introduced by the patches themselves. The I2O defensive cyber portfolio is largely focused on changing this paradigm through a variety of methods such as heterogeneity, formal methods proofs, secure code generation, and automation. Exploration of offensive methods is essential to expand and inform defensive work. The I2O portfolio covers a broad space, investigating enterprise networks, secure communications, industrial systems, and purpose-built military systems.
I2O is also pursuing information technologies to change the way we perceive and interact with our surroundings. Exponential improvements in computing power, network bandwidth and storage density combined with ever more pervasive sensing and measurement technologies provided new and powerful ways to gain insight into the world. Essentially all human activities that can be measured, from mercantile to military, are being quantitatively re-examined in the context of this new, “big data”, capability. Early demonstrations have produced remarkable insights into human activities and enabled quantitative decision making. I2O’s investment portfolio begins at the fundamental science level with programs investigating varied topics from the mathematical properties of graphs, to online correlation for societal unrest. The portfolio also addresses fundamental computational issues such as novel algorithm design, natural language processing, and architectures for efficient processing of streamed data. Closer to the customer, I2O is working closely with agencies within the national security community on operational data to ensure continuous transition of tools as the programs progress.
DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was established in 1958 to prevent strategic surprise from negatively impacting U.S. national security and create strategic surprise for U.S. adversaries by maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. military.
To fulfill its mission, the Agency relies on diverse performers to apply multi-disciplinary approaches to both advance knowledge through basic research and create innovative technologies that address current practical problems through applied research. DARPA’s scientific investigations span the gamut from laboratory efforts to the creation of full-scale technology demonstrations in the fields of biology, medicine, computer science, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, material sciences, social sciences, neurosciences and more. As the DoD’s primary innovation engine, DARPA undertakes projects that are finite in duration but that create lasting revolutionary change.