DHS Supporting Cybersecurity Forecasting Platform

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has awarded 418 Intelligence Corporation of Herndon, Virginia $350,000 to develop a forecasting platform that will help critical infrastructure owners and system operators share and keep abreast of the latest developments in cybersecurity protection. The award was made through the S&T Cyber Security Division’s (CSD) Cyber Risk Economics (CYRIE) project. CSD is part of the Homeland Security Advanced Projects Agency. CYRIE supports measurement and modeling of the business, legal, technical and behavioral aspects of the economics of cyber-threats, vulnerabilities and controls. Its primary research focus is on investment, impact, value and incentives related to cybersecurity risk management. The focus will provide relevant, timely, accurate and comprehensive data to help shape effective policy, optimize cybersecurity risk management and advance understanding of the cyber-risk landscape, according to the agency. CYRIE’s goal is to improve value-based decision-making by those who own, operate, protect, and regulate the nation’s vital data assets and critical infrastructure. “Those who are charged with protecting critical infrastructure systems are better positioned to defend against cyberattacks if they have wider access to information about cybersecurity controls,” said CSD Director Douglas Maughan.

Under the contract, 418 Intelligence will develop a prototype game-based, forecasting platform and user-experience to engage participants in competition and mastery of the latest developments in cybersecurity. The platform will include advanced anonymous information-sharing capabilities designed to allow complete control over the digital rights to information. The approach will provide stakeholders a real-world, risk-oriented game experience. “This effort tackles longstanding cyber-risk challenges to understanding the efficacy of cybersecurity controls and incentivizing the socialization of that knowledge,” said Erin Kenneally, CYRIE program manager. “The novel approach aims to change how cyber-risk management and controls investment decisions are made. It also demonstrates the advantage provided by community-informed reporting of the real-world controls effectiveness in attack scenarios. This has direct relevance to cybersecurity defenders across the spectrum of the Homeland Security Enterprise and for transfer of risk via cyber insurance and risk control.”