Benson Macon, program manager in the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Office of Mission & Capability Support (MCS), introduces us to the Cyber Analytics and Platform Capabilities (CAPC) Research Initiative.
When it comes to combating cyber threats, their global scale and ability to evolve serve as a constant reminder of our collective mission and need to be prepared. To ensure that we are ready to address these potential attacks, S&T is developing and implementing innovative resources, tools, and skills designed to keep our country safe.
One way that we are working to remain vigilant and prepared to protect our nation’s cybersecurity is through our CAPC Research Initiative, a cutting-edge cybersecurity research and development (R&D) program made possible through our partnerships with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Critical Infrastructure and Resilience Institute (CIRI) Center of Excellence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL), the University of Louisville (UofL), and other key public and private partners. Through CAPC, S&T is developing and delivering technologies and curriculums that will enable Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components and responders to defend our nation’s cyber and physical infrastructures more effectively against cybercrimes and cyberattacks.
This spring, S&T joined colleagues from CISA, NSA, NNSA, UIUC, PNNL, SNL, UofL, as well as other participants from the national security research community, for a CAPC Software Understanding for National Security technical exchange meeting at SNL’s campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This two-day meeting brought together 41 scientists and leading cybersecurity subject matter experts from nine different DHS divisions, as well as other select public and private partners from around the country. Their goal: discuss the latest industry inventions and research trends related to the development of cybersecurity technologies, data analytics tools, and training materials for law enforcement agencies and responders in the field.
Participants shared their notable research findings and updates, set new benchmarks for research, and identified new technologies and tools that will empower DHS agencies, along with their responders and law enforcement officers, to be more prepared to mitigate or prevent future cybercrimes and cyberattacks against our nation. Lessons learned and best practices from the meeting will be published in a technical roadmap and various knowledge products that summarize the information, discussions, and findings that were shared. These publications will be made available in the coming weeks, and serve as valuable resources that will inform DHS and CISA’s next steps, both through R&D and operational action.
CAPC currently has two ongoing projects—Fleet Vehicle Cybersecurity Research and Cybersecurity Training for Law Enforcement—and four primary focus areas: automated malware and software vulnerability analysis, cyber risk analysis, cloud telemetry analysis, and R&D gap analysis.
S&T’s Fleet Vehicle Cybersecurity Research effort is a collaborative initiative with UofL, PNNL, and SNL to research the impacts that malicious cyber activities have on the information technology systems and networks that the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) fleet vehicles rely on for their operations. Through this project, we are identifying cybersecurity capability gaps of USSS fleet vehicles and developing state-of-the art defensive tools, technologies, and trainings that will make both the vehicles and their operators safer and more effective in the field.
For the Cybersecurity Training for Law Enforcement effort, S&T is working with UIUC, UofL, and SNL to research Internet of Things (IoT) devices and machine learning tools to better understand how they can impact first responder capabilities, specifically within the realm of federal criminal investigations.
Attempts to hack and manipulate IoT devices such as smart watches and phones, home assistants, and other digital platforms are on the rise, making cybersecurity awareness and training a top priority for DHS law enforcement entities. Findings from this effort will be shared with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and used to develop an improved cybersecurity training curricula to teach law enforcement about the forensic and tactical considerations and benefits of these devices and associated smart technologies, and how they can be used in cybercrimes.
Our fight to ensure the nation’s cybersecurity never ends. Visit our Cybersecurity/Information Analysis R&D website to learn about other cybersecurity-related tools and technologies that we are funding and developing. To learn more about other related initiatives, please be sure to check S&T’s social media accounts (@DHSSciTech) throughout the month of October.