Featured Research: Cyber Security
Each of the five components of Signature Discovery and Threat Detection—cyber security, radiation detection, explosives detection, nuclear materials detection and mitigation, and chemical and biological detection and mitigation—will be featured in phases over time on this website. The first of these transformational areas of research to be highlighted is cyber security. Read on to learn more.
Cyber threats on the rise
Digital Ants: One of Ten World Changing Ideas
PNNL's unique Digital Ants Program—an adaptive way of defending collaborative networks is cited as one of ten innovative technologies in "World Changing Ideas: Ten thoughts, trends and technologies that have the power to transform our lives" in the December issue of Scientific American.
The recognition is another example of how cyber security research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is changing the paradigm to a more scientific posture through novel, flexible approaches that reduce cyber threats for individuals, industry and critical national infrastructures. To learn more about digital ants, visit the Information and Infrastructure Integrity Initiative website.
Digital Ants is a collaborative research program with Wake Forest University. Researchers include Glenn Fink, Jereme Haack and Wendy Maiden, all of PNNL, and Erin Fulp, Wake Forest. Digital Ants was originally titled "Tactical Deployment and Management of Adaptive Agents" receiving LDRD funding through the Information Integrity and Infrastructure Initiative.
Contact: Glenn Fink, 509-375-3994
Hackers from all over the globe develop new threats to jeopardize commerce, bring our transportation system to a halt, compromise the intelligence of our national security, or take the spark out of our national power grid. Experts agree that not nearly enough has been done to protect the nation from cyber attack(s). From simple identity theft to the complete takeover of a government website, we're exposed to and in need of sophisticated new approaches to help detect, analyze and mitigate these threats.
August 2008, as invading Russian tanks crossed the border into Former Soviet Republic Georgian territory, cyber attackers simultaneously shut down Georgian media outlets
Simply put, state-of-the-art-technology is not enough. Cyber networks are a strategic national asset. More advanced detection, proactive measures and adaptive defense methods are needed that protect cyber systems as opposed to the traditional 'catch 'n patch' or quick fix approach.
A science-based approach to cyber security
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are changing the paradigm to a predictive posture. Imagine 'digital ants', each with tiny programs modeled after real ant behavior wandering inside your computer, searching out threats to find and diagnose the intrusion.
PNNL is leading a science-based approach to today's cyber challenge by creating an Intrinsically Secure Computing™ (ISC™) environment to develop computing systems that are inherently able to respond to and defend themselves against threats. Scientists accomplish this through behavior-based detection, active defense architectures, novel zero-day threat responses, forensics, attack interpretation/understanding, and system component discovery and characterization.
Transformational research at PNNL explores ways to improve the safety, security and "soundness" of complex digital information and digital command to create an adaptive, resilient infrastructure that will proactively mitigate and prevent failure. Our research approach advances the use of predictive techniques, such as adaptive defense, predictive modeling and response, cyber analytics, and trustworthy engineering, to better understand the potential effects of existing and emerging threats and vulnerabilities.
Meeting National Science and Technology needs
Through our leadership position in cyber security, PNNL provides world-leading science and technology to address the Nation's cyber challenges. Highlights include the following:
Cyber Security Gets Air Time
Since late April, PNNL Chief Scientist for Cyber Security, Deb Frincke has been interviewed by 4 national radio stations, one Washington, DC station, and one Boston station. Federal News Radio from Washington, DC featured their interview 6 times in the "Daily Debrief" on April 29 and April 30.
Listen Now!
The Daily Debrief with Chis Dorobek and Amy Morris, Federal News Radio
April 29, 2010
Digital ants help fight cyber attacks (podcast 00:06:36)
The interview was also featured on the Cyber Security Report on May 2. Host Amy Morris posted a link to the interview on her Twitter page. Fox News Radio also aired the segment four times.
- PNNL established a collaborative Cyber Analytics Laboratory that advance the science of cyber security. The laboratory provides data and computing resources to support fusion of multiple data streams, access to data intensive and high-performance computing, and analysis with state-of-the art visualization techniques.
- PNNL has applied a theory of "ant behaviors" to cyber security. We have developed in collaboration with a university partner, a unique Digital Ants Program—a proactive way of defending collaborative networks. Digital ants are created through tiny programs modeled on real ant behavior. These programs wander through the computers searching out and then swarming viruses and worms and any abnormal activity. Ant- based cyber defense enables multiple stakeholders to mount concerted cyber defense, create truly adaptive immune system responses to attacks, and retain ultimate human responsibility without direct control, support nimble coalitions and thwart attacks.
- PNNL was the first national laboratory to make the science of data intensive computing a priority, investing $12 million over 3.5 years and engaging more than 50 researchers involved in the development of new and innovative technologies. The outcome of this research has driven a paradigm shift in the scientific discovery process, leveraging data intensive capabilities to hypothesize solutions to grand challenges in biology, cyber security, information analysis, electricity infrastructure, and multi-media analysis.
- PNNL teamed with 13 federal agencies, national laboratories, universities and industry to produce a Department of Energy chartered report titled "A Scientific Research and Development Approach to Cyber Security" in time for delivery to the newly elected Obama administration.
- PNNL's scientific partnership with the Center for Information Assurance and Cyber security (CIAC) at the University of Washington is one of the lead centers for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research.
- PNNL has internally invested in new technical capabilities to support the cyber security problems of tomorrow - from intelligence analysis through data intensive computing to advanced research in cyber security.
- We have developed a decision support system that effectively manages complex predictions regarding the state of the electricity infrastructure and powers grid operators with the information to predict potential network failures and take effective actions in response to adverse situations. This involves continuous monitoring of network performance, turning large amounts of data into actionable information, and providing operators with more effective decision support.