Newswise — WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded QED Secure Solutions of Coppell, Texas, $200,000 to field test a secure trust anchor for the Internet of Things (IoT) as part of S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). This is the final phase of the project that was awarded under the Securing the Internet of Things Other Transaction Solicitation seeking innovative solutions from startups to enhance anti-forgery and counterfeiting capabilities for digital documentation.
IoT is a convergence of mobile devices, information technology networks, connected sensors and devices. QED’s Framework for Analysis and Coordinated Trust (FACT™️) validates system upgrades for IoT devices. One form of attack against an IoT device is to insert malware into an IoT network through a system update. Currently, there is no independent product to address this threat. QED has proposed FACT™️ as a universal solution for safeguarding against counterfeit firmware.
“QED’s award comes after three program phases of proving, prototyping and testing,” said SVIP Managing Director Melissa Oh. “Their solution could enhance the standard of IoT device security, which is vital to the safety of both commercial user devices and critical infrastructure. Securing IoT networks is essential to the homeland security mission.”
In addition to verifying updates, FACT™️ will provide feedback and statistics to system update vendors to help them understand current threats and develop counter-threat solutions.
QED has established a new company, aDolus, to facilitate the commercialization of FACT™️. Upon the completion of the SVIP fourth phase, FACT™️ will transition to aDolus for market entry.
SVIP is one of the programs and tools available for S&T to fund innovation and engage with private sector partners to advance homeland security solutions. Companies participating in SVIP are eligible for up to $800,000 of non-dilutive funding over four phases to develop and adapt commercial technologies for homeland security use cases.
For more information on current and future SVIP solicitations, visit https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/svip or contact [email protected].
For more information about S&T’s innovation programs and tools, visit https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/business-opportunities.
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