Principal Accomplishments

  • Lincoln Laboratory researchers are developing a self-contained, cryptographic, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) processor, SHAMROCK, that can be easily integrated into a variety of hardware systems to secure their data and communications. SHAMROCK is targeted primarily at high-assurance applications for resource-constrained devices, such as small unmanned vehicles and handheld devices.
    Shamrock processorMIT Lincoln Laboratory is developing a one-size-fits-many soft-core standalone crypto processor, known as SHAMROCK. The SHAMROCK processor provides a set of standard, interoperable cryptographic algorithms and implements important key management functions, including over-the-air keying for distributing cryptographic keys securely over unsecured communication channels. SHAMROCK offers major security, power, and performance benefits; it is targeted at applications embedded in resource-constrained devices, such as small unmanned vehicles and handheld devices.
  • Lincoln Laboratory analyzed mission-critical systems to determine if these systems would be effective operationally in a contested cyber domain. Assessments of three space systems and an enterprise information system were delivered to sponsors. Researchers worked with government sponsors to publish comprehensive enterprise cyber security metrics that are grounded in realistic attacker models and that enable repeatable assessment of cyber risk for comparison from one organization to another.
  • Laboratory researchers designed, developed, and deployed cyber situational awareness systems at several DoD national and mission operations centers, including the U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Pacific Command. These systems share a common net-centric architecture in which data feeds and analytic services are discoverable, extensible, and composable. Feedback from operational use is driving ongoing development of new analytical and visualization tools.
  • The Laboratory established the Lincoln Research Network Operations Center (LRNOC) to develop prototype cyber analysis tools by processing the Laboratory’s own operational network traffic, security system alerts, information technology system logs, and configuration data. The LRNOC serves as a test bed for exploring and evaluating new techniques prior to prototype deployment on DoD networks.
  • The development of effective, dynamic, cryptographic key management techniques for small tactical systems continued. Laboratory researchers published a key management architecture for small unmanned aircraft systems, and then worked with government and commercial organizations to establish elements of this architecture as a standard for widespread use.
  • The Laboratory continued the development of the Lincoln Adaptable Real-time Information Assurance Testbed (LARIAT) software suite. LARIAT is used to configure, command, and control large-scale experiments on cyber ranges, and has been deployed to many dozens of DoD cyber ranges nationwide. The Laboratory worked on enhancing and deploying LARIAT components, including high-fidelity hardware-based cyber sensors, low-artifact traffic actuators, and autonomous Web 2.0 traffic generation.
  • The Laboratory assessed the performance of numerous cyber components and systems for a wide variety of DoD sponsors, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Air Force. Sponsors were able to use the results of these assessments to understand the maturity and effectiveness of these components and systems for DoD missions.
  • Lincoln Laboratory researchers supported efforts of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to develop road maps for future DoD cyber research and cyber measurement campaigns. These plans are expected to heavily influence future DoD-wide cyber investments.

 

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