Homeland Security Department awards $750,000 for malware prediction research and development

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Program (SBIR) Phase II contract awarded to BlueRISC, Inc. in Amherst, Massachusetts, for the development of a malware attack prediction and identification solution.

“The growth in the frequency, severity and cost impacts of malware attacks such as ransomware and viruses requires a solution that defenders can use to safeguard their systems and networks and fight back against malicious actors,” S&T Cyber Security Division (CSD) Director Douglas Maughan said. “This project will result in a prototype solution that defenders can adopt and implement to protect their systems from malware attacks.”

DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) provided the funding for a project in which BlueRISC will develop a prototype that system and network defenders can use to predict and detect cyberattacks. The solution will be based on Graph Inference Theory and machine learning. The project, titled “Malware Prediction for Situational Understanding and Preemptive Cyber Defense,” also includes testing and validation of the prototype to prepare it for an operational environment.

“BlueRISC has proposed a novel and innovative approach to predicting and identifying malware,” S&T Program Manager Ann Cox said. “Once completed, the prototype solution will enable network and system administrators to be proactive in defending against malware attacks instead of being reactionary.”