Cyber Security Research and Development Center

The Cyber Security R&D Center was established by the Department of Homeland Security in 2004 to develop security technology for protection of the U.S. cyber infrastructure. The Center conducts its work through partnerships between government and private industry, the venture capital community, and the research community.

Recent News

DHS Invites Public to Comment on the Menlo Report

DHS invites the public to comment on the The Menlo Report: Ethical Principles Guiding Information and Communication Technology Research, in support of PREDICT, DHS S&T sponsored work on ethics in Information and Communication Technology Research (ICTR). The report is the culmination of a multi-year effort by network and security research stakeholders to lay out a guiding framework to identify, pre-empt and resolve ethical issues, and intended to be a dialogue launch point for the community of researchers, oversight entities, and policymakers to reflect accord on ethics in security and network research. Comments are welcome via the Federal Register.

Department of Homeland Security Releases Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future

On December 12, 2011, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the release of the Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future: The Cybersecurity Strategy for the Homeland Security Enterprise. See her blog post at blog.dhs.gov.

OSTP Releases Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program Document

On December 6, 2011, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released the “Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program” document. This document serves as a road map to ensure long-term reliability and trustworthiness of the digital communications network that is increasingly at the heart of American economic growth and global competitiveness.

DHS S&T Cyber Security Receives National Cybersecurity Innovation Award

On October 11, 2011, the Cyber Security Division (CSD) of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate(S&T) received a National Cybersecurity Innovation Award at the Sans Institute’s Second Annual National Cybersecurity Innovation Conference for the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) project. DNSSEC technology protects the public by ensuring that websites visited are the real deal and not imposters. Phony websites aim to steal users’ log-in names, passwords, and money, and DNSSEC technology helps prevent such thefts by blocking bogus page elements and flagging pages whose DNS identity has been hijacked.

In the award category Building a Federal Cybersecurity Research Program that Results in Substantial Cyber Risk Reduction, S&T Cyber Security was recognized for its innovation in promoting “[r]esearch that pays off through a process that continually calls upon researchers to focus on work that can result in real products and real risk reduction.” Moreover, the award, presented by United States Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, noted that the CSD’s approach “has forced the R&D community to think beyond the theoretical to consider a more practical horizon.” S&T’s DNSSEC project is managed by Edward Rhyne.

Cyber Security HOST Project Receives Open Source for America Award

On October 11, 2011, at FedTalks 2011, it was announced that the S&T Cyber Security Division’s Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) project had been awarded the Open Source for America (OSFA) 2011 Government Deployment Open Source Award. The OSFA Awards recognize projects, individuals, and deployments that support OSFA’s mission to educate decision makers in the federal government about the advantages of using free and open-source software, encourage federal agencies to give equal priority to procuring free and open-source software in all of their procurement decisions, and provide an effective voice to the federal government on behalf of the open-source software community, private industry, academia, and other nonprofits.

Managed by CSD’s Luke Berndt, the S&T HOST project is bringing together technology leaders from across government and developing advanced open source security solutions that address their prioritized gaps. The development of the open source intrusion detection system, Suricata, was sponsored through this project and is now being sustainably maintained by industry through a non-profit foundation. The HOST project is piloting this technology within the government and working to identify best practices and other priority areas for future development. HOST is also openly promoting the adoption of open source solutions at every level of government.

President Barack Obama declares October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

On October 3, 2011, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The proclamation describes the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, and calls upon the people of the United States to recognize the importance of cybersecurity and to observe October with activities, events, and trainings that will enhance our national security and resilience.

Georgia Tech to Lead $10M Open-Source Homeland Security Initiative

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate has named the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to lead implementation efforts for the five-year, $10 million Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) program. The HOST program will investigate open source and open cyber security methods, models and technologies, and identify viable and sustainable approaches that support national cyber security objectives. This was noted by Government Computer News, InnovationNewsDaily, PC Magazine, and other media.

Administration Announces International Strategy for Cyberspace

On May 16, 2011, the Obama Administration announced the United States’ first, comprehensive International Strategy for Cyberspace. Howard Schmidt, the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator, said that the International Strategy is a historic policy document for the 21st Century — one that explains, for audiences at home and abroad, what the U.S. stands for internationally in cyberspace, and how we plan to build prosperity, enhance security, and safeguard openness in our increasingly networked world. The International Strategy lays out the President’s vision for the future of the Internet, and sets an agenda for partnering with other nations and peoples to achieve that vision.

Administration Releases Strategy to Protect Online Consumers and Support Innovation

On April 15, 2011, the Obama Administration released the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), which seeks to better protect consumers from fraud and identity theft, enhance individuals’ privacy, and foster economic growth by enabling industry both to move more services online and to create innovative new services. The NSTIC aims to make online transactions more trustworthy, thereby giving businesses and consumers more confidence in conducting business online.