Direct to Phase II SBIR - Cybersecurity of Operational Technologies

January 01, 2024

On April 13, 2022, the Cybersecurity, and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Agency (NSA) issued a rare, joint alert that Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors had gained full system access to multiple industrial control systems including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and IoT devices with the goal of disabling US energy infrastructure. In August 2019 Microsoft reported that hackers working for the Russian government were using printers, video decoders, and other IoT devices as a beachhead to penetrate targeted computer networks.

In May 2019, the Mirai botnet was found using a total of 13 different exploits to target routers and other IoT devices. In addition, in August 2018, CNET warned that hacked appliances like air conditioners could bring down a state’s power grid. Vulnerabilities to US critical infrastructure are rooted in the limitations of existing network-protection systems: gateways and firewalls can become compromised, and static firewalls are not device-specific and cannot adapt to changing security states.

Also, some of these challenges are due to the low-cost and high-volume nature of IoT and SCADA devices. High Assurance, NSA endorsed cryptographic products that can provide IoT/SCADA security can range in cost $5.6K per unit to $70k per unit. As a result, it is currently not economically feasible to protect these devices against both classical and quantum level attacks.

The Technical Objectives of this D2P2 SBIR is to 1) deliver twenty Isidore devices within two months after award, 2) demonstrate a minimum 90% reduction in cost and SWaP versus traditional high-assurance cryptographic products, 3) demonstrate effectiveness against both quantum and classical cybersecurity attacks, and 5) submit Isidore for CSfC certification and Type 1 approval.

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Awards and Recognition

Award a Phase III Sole Source Contract

A Federal Agency may enter into a Phase III SBIR/STTR agreement at any time with a Phase I OR II Awardee. A subcontract to a Federally funded prime contract may be a Phase III award.

Follow our 8 step process:

Step 1 Requirements Document: Prepare a Statement of Work (SOW), Statement of Objectives (SOO), or Performance Work Statement (PWS), or use our automated tool to generate a document
Step 2 Market Research: Use this page as your market research, or view a list of other eligible projects, then request a ROM from Forward Edge-AI
Step 3 Funding: Performed by the government
Step 4 Sole Source Justification: A Memorandum for the Record is required in lieu of a J&A or SSJ
Step 5 Provide Requirements Package to Contracting Officer: Performed by the government
Step 6 Solicitation: Performed by the government
Step 7 Pre-Negotiation Memorandum: Use GSA CALC as a benchmark to determine fair and reasonableness of our ROM
Step 8: Contract Award: Performed by the government

Language for Step 4 (Determination and Finding):

Artificial Intelligence (Anomaly Detector), Counter Adversarial AI, Encryption, cybersecurity, ICS/SCADA, IoT, IIoT, Military IoT, physics-based models, quantum resistant, Zero Trust
Operational Technologies, Industry 4.0, Utilities (power, water, energy), Expeditionary Environments

List of Phase III contracts awarded so far

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Restrictions on use of Forward Edge-AI Information on Bid and Proposals

SBIR DATA RIGHTS:

Awarding Agency: US Air Force

Contract Number: FA864923P0006

Contractor Name: Forward Edge-AI, Inc.

Contractor Address: 10108 Carter Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78255

Expiration of SBIR Data: 21 December 2042

Protection Period: 20 years from award of contract on 21 December 2022

The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data or computer software marked with this legend are restricted during the period shown as provided in paragraph (b)(5) of the Rights In Other Than Commercial Technical Data and Computer Software–Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program clause contained in the above identified contract. After the expiration date shown above, the Government has perpetual government purpose rights as provided in paragraph (b)(5) of that clause. Any reproduction of technical data, computer software, or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings.