DHS awards $1M for cybersecurity information sharing tool

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $1 million to InferLink Corp. to develop a tool for sharing cybersecurity information.

Inferlink, based in El Segundo, Calif., awarded the Phase II contract to InferLink based on the successful demonstration of feasibility in Phase I for their Cybersecurity Peer-to-Peer Knowledge/Lessons Learned Tool. In Phase II, InferLink will create a secure community platform for cyber knowledge sharing and collaboration.

“Science cannot exist in a vacuum, and it is only by collaborating with our peers that we are able to bring valuable insights and best practices to the table,” William Bryan, DHS senior official performing the duties of the under secretary for science and technology, said. “This technology will enable companies and organizations to leverage related experiences from one another and better understand and manage cybersecurity risks.”

DHS officials said there is a need to implement new and effective information sharing tools as the number of cybersecurity threats to the nation’s commercial and government organizations increase.

“Cybersecurity professionals tend to be reluctant to share data because of the sensitive nature of the information.  In the wrong hands, this information can be used for malicious purposes instead of mitigating risk,” Ann Cox, DHS S&T SBIR topic manager, said. “This tool will provide a platform for creating trusted groups of individuals who can freely share information in a secure environment. This means if one organization has a way to prevent or mitigate activities from malicious actors online, that information will be available to others and can be immediately implemented, instead of re-inventing solutions, which will multiply the value of the scarce human resources available in cybersecurity.”

The DHS SBIR Program is administered by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T).