10 R&D Cybersecurity Initiatives Congress Seeks

New Senate Bill Outlines 10 Infosec Areas to be Studied Eric Chabrow (GovInfoSecurity) • June 15, 2010

A cybersecurity bill introduced in the Senate last week lists key research and development initiatives the government would back in its quest to secure critical information systems and networks. The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, as the Senate measure is known, lists 10 R&D initiatives:

1. Advance the development and accelerate the deployment of more secure versions of fundamental Internet protocols and architectures, including for the secure domain name addressing system and routing security;

2. Improve and create technologies for detecting and analyzing attacks or intrusions, including analysis of malicious software;

3. Improve and create mitigation and recovery methodologies, including techniques for containment of attacks and development of resilient networks and systems;

4. Develop and support infrastructure and tools to support cybersecurity research and development efforts, including modeling, testbeds, and data sets for assessment of new cybersecurity technologies;

5. Assist the development and support of technologies to reduce vulnerabilities in process control systems;

6. Understand human behavioral factors that can affect cybersecurity technology and practices;

7. Test, evaluate and facilitate, with appropriate protections for any proprietary information concerning the technologies, the transfer of technologies associated with the engineering of less vulnerable software and securing the information technology software development lifecycle;

8. Assist the development of identity management and attribution technologies;

9. Assist the development of technologies designed to increase the security and resiliency of telecommunications networks; and

10. Advance the protection of privacy and civil liberties in cybersecurity technology and practices. The legislation also would provide for government-backed R&D to address other risks identified by the director of the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications, the Department of Homeland Security unit that would be created by the Senate legislation to oversee federal cybersecurity programs among civilian agencies and departments.