OSI Systems Receives $24M in Security Orders
OSI Systems [OSIS] says its Rapiscan Systems division has received $24 million in service-related orders for a number of its security inspection systems. The customer was not disclosed. The orders are for maintenance and support services for various products including the Eagle, Z Portal, and Z Backscatter Van cargo and vehicle inspection systems, and Rapiscan 600 series baggage and parcel inspection product lines.
IARPA Awards SRI International $13M for Research on Biometric Vulnerabilities
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) has awarded SRI International a four-year $12.5 million contract under the Odin Program to research and develop dynamic biometrics able to better detect attempts to evade or deceive biometric security systems, such as fingerprints, iris and face scanners. SRI says the ability to detect these “presentation attacks” addresses a critical weakness in current generation biometric security systems and can significantly expand biometric use cases. Presentation attacks, which attempt to deceive biometric security systems, relegate biometric use cases to relatively low risk applications such as unlocking a phone, or those in which a human guard is present to spot and stop overtly suspicious activity, the company says. SRI says it will forge and deliver a prototype Multi-physiological Joint Optimization and Liveness Nuances for Identity Ratification System to defeat known and unknown presentation attacks.
DHS Awards Astrix Technology $1M for BioWatch Lab Staffing
Astrix Technology Group has received a nine-month $1.3 million follow-on order from the Department of Homeland Security to continue providing laboratory staffing as part of the BioWatch program. The extension will allow for continuing of services for laboratory operations while the Laboratory Staffing re-compete has time to complete the competitive process.
DHS S&T Awards Several Small Cyber R&D Awards
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, Cyber Security Division, has awarded three small research and development contracts to two universities and a private company. A $220,209 award to the Univ. of Tulsa is to study data production and usage by cyber security researchers, information that will help quantify the value of data sharing and improve sharing incentives to address the interdependency of cyber risk environments. “This project will help facilitate enhanced data sharing among cyber security researchers, which will enable researchers to better quantify risks and identify new cyber defenses,” says William Bryan, acting under secretary for S&T. Under a $206,000 award, Carnegie Mellon Univ. will develop data and analysis platforms that cyber security researchers can use to understand and counter cyber attacks. A $200,000 award to Washington-based Veramine, Inc., is for work on adding cyber intrusion deception, moving-target defense, and isolation and containment capability to strengthen detection and response capabilities for the cyber defenses of financial institutions.