NUARI has been collaborating with the DHS for close to a decade

Aug 24, 2013 16:01 GMT  ·  By

The US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology (DHS S&T) will award the Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI) a $9.9 million (€7.4 million) contact to develop systems and technologies capable of protecting government agencies, critical infrastructure, and financial institutions against cyber threats.

The announcement was made at the Norwich University's Sullivan Museum and History Center by US Senator Patrick Leahy.

“It always impresses me -- but never surprises me -- when I hear about Norwich University's success readying our military and security leaders for today's challenges while continuing its historic mission of developing the military leaders of tomorrow,” Leahy commented.

“This $9.9 million in additional contracts will keep Norwich growing in the crucial and cutting-edge arena of cyber security, and growing as an essential part of the community in Northfield.”

The funds will be utilized to expand the capabilities of NUARI’s DECIDE-FS, a simulation platform designed to help organizations handle the effects of cyber incidents and other hazards. DECIDE-FS has been used in the recent Quantum Dawn series of exercises in which major financial institutions took part.

The DHS and NUARI have been collaborating for almost ten years. They’ve focused on enhancing the abilities of individuals and organizations when it comes to responding to distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks, natural disasters, and major network failures.

“Experience is the best teacher. Improving a collective response in the face of an evolving advanced persistence threat is a continuous process,” noted NUARI President Phil Susmann.

“An immersive, stressful and adaptable simulation environment, employed with a thinking adversary, is critical to preparing individuals and organizations for the fog of war, when quick, but clear thinking and cooperation are essential,” Susmann added.

“Realistic training, with measurable consequences to an organization's value chain, encourages individual and institutional information sharing, cooperation and coordination. Attacks are inevitable. Building resiliency within critical infrastructures is paramount, not optional.”