APL Receives $24.7 Million to Build Prototype Cyber Range

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., has been awarded $24.7 million to develop the second phase of technologies to bolster national cyber experimentation capabilities. The contract is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) National Cyber Range program, a revolutionary approach to assessing potential technologies for the nation’s cyber security systems and networks.

In Phase I, which began in January 2009, APL and several other contractors submitted design proposals to DARPA. In Phase II, APL and one other contractor will build and evaluate prototype ranges and their corresponding technology. Phase III will involve completing the development of the range and building a facility to house the range.

“APL has already built several dedicated cyber test beds for specific experimentation needs of the Department of Defense,” says Peter Dinsmore, APL’s principal investigator for the project. “The National Cyber Range is the next generation of technology for our cyber experimentation portfolio and will allow us to better serve the research and development community.”

Tim Galpin, APL’s business area executive for Infocentric Operations, says the second phase of the DARPA National Cyber Range effort is closely aligned with the Lab’s strategic initiatives to enable the development of national cyberspace operational and warfighting capabilities. “In our view, measurement and analysis are crucial elements of ensuring the success of the cyberspace mission,” Galpin says.

Andy Thompson, APL’s program manager for the project, added that the 11-member APL National Cyber Range team is superbly aligned to meet DARPA’s national program objectives. In Phase II, which commenced in early January, CenGen and Drakontas joined the APL team that in Phase I included Raytheon BBN Technologies, OPNET Technologies, Applied Visions Secure Decisions Division, Verizon Business Federal Network Systems, Skaion Corporation, Idaho National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and University of Utah.