Coppell, Texas-based QED Secure Solutions has secured $200,000 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding to field test a secure trust anchor for the Internet of Things (IoT).
The funding allotment via DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is in conjunction with S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) and serves as the final phase of the project awarded under the Securing the Internet of Things Other Transaction Solicitation.
“QED’s award comes after three program phases of proving, prototyping and testing,” Melissa Oh, SVIP managing director, said. “Their solution could enhance the standard of IoT device security, which is vital to the safety of both commercial user devices and critical infrastructure. Securing IoT networks is essential to the homeland security mission.”
IoT represents a convergence of mobile devices, information technology networks, connected sensors, and devices, while QED’s Framework for Analysis and Coordinated Trust (FACT) validate system upgrades for IoT devices.
There is presently no independent product to address a form of attack against an IoT device Involving the insertion of malware into an IoT network through a system update, according to S&T officials. QED has proposed FACT as a universal solution for safeguarding against counterfeit firmware.
Companies participating in SVIP are eligible for up to $800,000 of non-dilutive funding over four phases to develop and adapt commercial technologies for homeland security use cases.