The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) drives a wide range of research and development (R&D) initiatives and steers the resulting innovative solutions into use by the intended end-user.
A shining example of successfully transitioning technology can be found in the S&T Cyber Security R&D program. Since 
the first cyber security R&D effort was launched in 2004, the program has transitioned, licensed, commercialized or released as open-source 87 cyber security technologies and solutions.
These transitions include Symbiote, an intrusion-detection technology for embedded systems developed by S&T performer Red Balloon Security that was acquired by Hewlett Packard and placed in printers and other embedded devices. Today, millions of printers worldwide are protected with the technology.
Then there is iVe, a digital forensic tool used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to extract evidence from the navigation and infotainment systems of more than 10,000 vehicle models. The tool was developed by Berla Corporation with support from S&T and is now being sold to law enforcement agencies.
Last year alone, S&T’s Transition to Practice (TTP) program transitioned 10 cyber security technologies.
Other prominent S&T cyber security R&D program transitions include:
- A mobile application vetting platform developed by Kryptowire.
- The Software Assurance Marketplace, a collaborative research environment providing software assurance resources to help software developers improve their development activities.
- QuadMetrics, a cloud service that determines the probability of a data breach by collecting more than 250 different data points from a network. The technology recently was acquired by FICO.
- Suricata, a network intrusion detection and prevention system freely available as open-source software.
Part of our transition success is attributed to ongoing outreach efforts targeting government and private-sector technology implementers, integrators and investors. Every 18 months, we host an R&D Showcase to introduce wide ranging research efforts to public and private-sector partners. We also host several TTP demo days each year to spotlight technologies. These and other program-sponsored events help raise awareness of cyber security solutions ready to be transitioned to operational use. These meetings also help S&T’s cyber security team identify new security requirements, the first step to launching a new research focus area.
For a peek at the next round of transition-ready solutions, visit our Cyber Security R&D Technology Guide. It features summaries of more than 60 research efforts in software assurance, mobile security, identity management, distributed denial of service defense, data privacy, cybersecurity research infrastructure, cyber physical systems security, cyber outreach and cyber forensics as well as technology solutions from the TTP program.
Learn how solutions developed by all S&T R&D programs can help your organization by visiting our website.