November 19, 2023 | International, Naval
Navy creates three new IT submarine ratings to promote specialization
The sailors will specialize in communications, network security and electronic warfare.
September 12, 2018 | International, C4ISR
DARPA Wants to Find Botnets Before They Attack
The defense agency awarded a contract to develop a tool that scours the internet for dormant online armies.
The military's research branch is investing in systems that automatically locate and dismantle botnets before hackers use them to cripple websites, companies or even entire countries.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on Aug. 30 awarded a $1.2 million contract to cybersecurity firm Packet Forensics to develop novel ways to locate and identify these hidden online armies. The award comes as part of the agency's Harnessing Autonomy for Countering Cyber-adversary Systems program, a DARPA spokesperson told Nextgov.
To build botnets, hackers infect internet-connected devices with malware that allows them to execute orders from a remote server. Because the virus sits dormant most of the time, the owners of infected devices rarely know their computer, smartphone or toaster has been compromised.
Through the HACCS program, DARPA aims to build a system that can automatically pinpoint botnet-infected devices and disable their malware without their owners ever knowing.
Launched in 2017, the program is investing in three main technologies: systems that uncover and fingerprint botnets across the internet, tools that upload software to infected devices through known security gaps, and software that disables botnet malware once it's uploaded. Packet Forensics' technology falls under that first category, the DARPA spokesperson said.
Eventually DARPA plans to integrate each of those technologies into a single system that can spot, raid and neutralize botnet-infected devices without any human involvement. Because the tool would only target botnet malware, people could continue using the devices just as they had before, the agency said in the program announcement.
During phase one of the three-part project, Packet Forensics will build a technology capable of scanning some five percent of global IP addresses and detecting botnets with 80 percent accuracy. By the end of the program, DARPA anticipates the system to analyze 80 percent of the global internet and correctly spot botnets 95 percent of the time.
The effort is scheduled to last to four years, with the first phase running 16 months. Later phases include additional funding.
https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2018/09/darpa-wants-find-botnets-they-attack/151182/
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April 6, 2022 | International, Land
New arms purchases for Eastern Europe | Defense Dollars
The Czech Republic is looking to add a slew of new helicopters in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and new information on what caused a B-2 steal...
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April 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Saab’s new fighter radar in the air
Saab has successfully completed the first air trials with its new fighter X-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which will be offered as a new addition to Saab's PS-05/A radar family. Saab continues to develop core AESA technology and has now successfully completed the first air trials with the new X-band AESA radar. The trials were flown successfully, collecting data while detecting and tracking objects. The radar is designed for fighter aircraft and can be adapted to a variety of platforms. As Saab previously announced, a version of the new AESA antenna has been sold to a U.S. Government customer. “This is an important step in the development of our new fighter AESA radar. We see great possibilities for the radar, and its modular, adaptable and scalable design means it can also be used for a range of other applications,” said Anders Carp, SVP and head of Saab's business area surveillance. The host aircraft during the air trial was a Gripen D aircraft, which is currently offered with Saab's latest Mk4 radar. The new version of the radar can be offered to Gripen C/D operators, as an upgrade. The new AESA radar features GaN, a material that gives lower power consumption and improved heat resistance. This enables wider bandwidth and greater reliability, availability and efficiency. The new fighter X-band AESA radar will, for example, have better performance against small targets, enhanced Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCM) capability as well as improved ability to support more advanced weaponry. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/saabs-new-fighter-radar-in-the-air