Lockheed Martin Opens Cyber Center Near Fort Meade

Lockheed Martin [LMT] last month opened a new Cyber Center of Excellence in Maryland near Fort Meade to better connect its employees, partners and customers as it builds its cyber security capabilities. The 56,000 square-foot facility can host 250 professionals and provides system labs, employee training rooms, and an Advanced Technology Center that allows the company to rapidly develop and provide solutions to meet critical customer needs. “We’re looking ahead,” Tim Reardon, president of Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions National business, said in a statement. “We know the importance of the cyber mission will continue to grow for our customers. Lockheed Martin’s talented workforce, cutting edge technology, and state-of-the-art facilities like this position us to meet the cyber challenges and needs of a diverse range of missions and customers.” Fort Meade is home to the National Security Agency.

GD Enhances Real-Time Cyber Threat Detection

General Dynamics [GD] says its Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions business has integrated its flagship network security solution, Fidelis XPS, with IBM’s [IBM] security information and event management product, the QRadar. “This product collaboration with the highly flexible, scalable and easy to deploy IBM QRadar provides customers with an enhanced understanding of the threats on their network through the real-time reporting of activities and events,” says Tom Lyons, vice president of Product Management at GD Fidelis. “This valuable insight allows customers to quickly act on threats, defend their enterprise, protecting valuable data from leaving the network.” Fidelis XPS is used to monitor and analyze network traffic to help customers detect and block cyber attacks.

Honeywell to Acquire RAE Systems

Honeywell [HON] has agreed to acquire RAE Systems for $340 million, boosting its portfolio of capabilities in gas detection products and giving it new capabilities in the area of radiation detection. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013 pending the completion of regulatory reviews. “RAE Systems is a pioneer in the gas detection industry with unrivalled technologies,” says Mark Levy, president and CEO of Honeywell’s Life Safety business. “Their strong presence in hazardous material, first responder, and government complements our existing business very well, and their expertise in photo-ionization detection, wireless, and radiation detection represent terrific opportunities to expand our reach. RAE Systems’ geographic, manufacturing and distribution footprint, especially in high growth countries like China, will help to make our already strong gas detection portfolio an even greater global franchise in a very good industry. RAE had $107 million ns sales last year.

Raytheon Introduces Secure Mobile App for First Responders

Raytheon [RTN] has introduced a secure mobile app for first responders that provides a range of tools on their civilian smartphones, tablets and mobile data computers. Raytheon says the One Force Mobile Collaboration app includes voice, maps, drawing tools, chat, real-time position tracking with GPS, streaming video and image sharing. “For most first responders, the personal cell phone they carry has significantly more communications capabilities than their traditional police radio,” says TJ Kennedy, director of Public Safety and Security for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems business. “However, a civilian cell phone is not optimized for public safety use. The One Force application brings together the best of both worlds: access to smartphone technology and the customizable features that first responders need to get their jobs done.”

Firms Team to Develop Cyber Protection Solution for SCADA Systems

Logos Technologies, Global Velocity, and MAVERICK Technologies have signed a joint development agreement to develop a Cyber Sensor Integration (CSI) solution to secure Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, which remotely monitor and control industrial processes at critical industrial sites such as nuclear plants. The development agreement will pool expertise of the three partnering companies in cyber security, industrial controls and complex system integration to develop a CSI solution to secure SCADA systems. The companies say the solution will be comprehensive and that it will provide continuous expert support and an understanding of attacker profiles to defeat a threat before it takes shape.

Argon Launches Simulation Probe for RIIDEye Training

Argon Electronics has launched the RIIDEye-Sim-Nal-P, a spectrometer simulation probe that enables first responders to train how to use the Thermo Fisher Scientific [TMO] RIIDEye handheld radiation isotope identifier without an ionizing radiation source. The United Kingdom-based company says the new simulation probe replaces the real Nal detector. With the probe installed, first responders can plan exercises in which the RIIDEye responds to Argon’s GS3 gamma radiation simulation source, which can be set to represent specific nuclear isotopes. The simulator probe is also PlumeSIM compatible, permitting radionuclide identification exercises to take place in either virtual table top or large area field exercises involving scenarios such as radiological dispersion devices or a nuclear power station accident.