Secure Agent Based Platform for Computer Network Defense

When under conditions of cyber attack, all aspects of a computer network are vulnerable, including the base platform on which network defense applications execute. To ensure an effective defense, the platform must be capable of monitoring itself,defending itself, and healing itself while maintaining a secure operational environment for CND applications.In this Phase I SBIR proposal, Sentar presents its plan for designing and prototyping a Secure Agent Based Platform for Computer Network Defense (SAB-CND). This effort will establish the feasibility of the SAB-CND technology and will define therequirements and architecture for a SAB platform designed specifically to host CND applications. To ensure success in this project, Sentar has teamed with SYColeman whose experience with the problems of network security will provide expertise, focus anddepth to the project. The SAB-CND Platform will integrate conventional security measures with innovative intelligent analysis and response measures based on IBM's concepts of autonomic computing.Opportunities for deployment include military CND applications for the Ground Mid-course Defense System (GMDS), Theater Missile Defense (TMD), and Regional Missile Defense (RMD), as well as any mission critical system network. In the commercial sector, ascommercial reliance on the Internet grows, the same pattern of opportunity exists. The proposed SAB-CND Platform, when fully developed, will produce a robust environment for hosting GMD CND applications. Developing this secure agent platform will greatly improve the security of the military and commercial applications developed on topof this platform. A key feature of the secure agent-based platform concept is its broad applicability. The SAB-CND Platform will be valued for network defense on both military and commercial systems. In addition to CND applications, the general secureagent-based platform is applicable to such areas as Network Centric Warfare (NCW), emergency management, electronic market places, and the semantic web. Thus, in addition to the opportunity of inserting the platform into missile defense systems, there isa clear path to commercialization in the business world.