Extending ZeroLock Coverage to Hypervisors

Vali Cyber’s Phase I initiative identified tens of thousands of virtual workloads powering mission-critical systems throughout the DAF and DoD, all lacking adequate protection against cyberattacks. Malicious cyberattacks against these platforms are increasing alarmingly, from 2 attacks in 2020 to over 1,100 in 2022. The rapid escalation in cyberattacks against virtualization platforms, such as the recent breach of MITRE hypervisors (https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/china-linked-hackers-used-rootrot.html), underscores the urgent need for improved cybersecurity. The proposed Phase II initiative is a comprehensive plan to adapt Vali Cyber’s commercial ZeroLock solution to secure the virtualized software programs increasingly powering mission-critical systems. More than 80% of DAF workloads are now virtualized, and this number is steadily increasing. The vulnerability of almost every USSF Space Delta and ground station and the DAF’s Air Tasking Order processing systems to exploitation through hypervisors is a stark reality. Implementing EDR on hypervisors is critical to protecting space ground systems supporting DAF OI-1, Space Order of Battle, enhancing the resilience of our space ground systems extensive use hypervisors, against nation-state adversaries such as China; DAF OI-2, Operationally Focused ABMS, ensuring reliable data for C2 systems like TOC-L with realtime automated remediation; and ensuring DAF’s OI-7, Readiness to Deploy and Fight, by guaranteeing a nation-state-level threat actor cannot violate the CIA triad. The core of our Phase II effort is the swift technology transition of Vali Cyber’s DAF-adapted, groundbreaking new hypervisor cybersecurity product. This product will provide crucial visibility into virtualized workloads, empowering proactive threat hunting, incident response, and automated remediation. By delivering realtime virtual patching, our proposed hypervisor EDR solution can transform threat intelligence into executable protection, ensuring mission-critical systems remain safeguarded in a contested cyber environment. This will be achieved through rigorous testing to ensure the solution for hypervisors meets the efficiency, effectiveness, compatibility, and security standards necessary for the Authority to Operate (ATO) and rapid deployment at scale. The ANG, USSF, and DAF need resilient information sharing that is protected and secure from cyber threats. ARCWERX and Space CAMP, with their national defense missions, are committed to developing and delivering secure digital solutions to the warfighter. The technology developed under this initiative will address the current cybersecurity challenges and play a significant role in meeting future mission requirements. Its impact on the DAF and DoD will be profound, providing automated, realtime detection and remediation of cyber attacks against virtualized infrastructure.