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Defence contracts

Phosphorus Cybersecurity Awarded Contract to Secure Air Force's 5G-Enabled IoT Devices

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Phosphorus Cybersecurity, a provider of automated IoT security solutions, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) to develop a solution to protect its 5G-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) devices from vulnerabilities. This initiative aims to secure the Air Force's IoT technologies and create a zero-trust environment necessary for defense networks. Phosphorus' proprietary technology will be applied to inventory, patch, and credential manage IoT devices, automating remediation against critical vulnerabilities. This solution is crucial, given the exponential increase in network attack surface due to the adoption of 5G capabilities at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installations.

Key Takeaways:

  • Phosphorus Cybersecurity has been awarded an AFWERX SBIR 20.3 Phase I contract to develop a solution to secure the USAF's 5G-enabled IoT devices.
  • The adoption of 5G capabilities at DoD installations will enable rapid adoption of IoT technologies, providing innovative mission-critical capabilities for the warfighter.
  • Phosphorus will apply its proprietary technology to inventory, patch, and credential manage IoT devices, automating remediation against critical vulnerabilities.
  • This solution is essential due to the exponential increase in network attack surface and the recent passage of the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act, requiring all federal agencies to conduct identity management, patching, and configuration management of their IoT devices.
  • Phosphorus provides the scalable zero-trust security infrastructure to comply with the new legislation.
  • The company has a proven track record of cybersecurity software innovation and has already solved the problem of securing IoT devices for its customers, as seen in the case of the Verkada hack.
  • The Verkada hack highlights the need for a solution to protect IoT technologies, which are vulnerable due to out-of-date firmware and default credentials, and have a seven-year half-life for vulnerability patching and infrequent credential rotation.

Statistics:

  • The USAF has awarded a contract to Phosphorus Cybersecurity to secure its 5G-enabled IoT devices.
  • The adoption of 5G capabilities at DoD installations will enable the rapid adoption of IoT technologies, providing innovative mission-critical capabilities for the warfighter.
  • The Internet of Things (IoT) has a massive and unprotected cyber-attack surface, with over 7 years for vulnerability patching and infrequent credential rotation.
  • The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act requires all federal agencies to conduct identity management, patching, and configuration management of their IoT devices.

Sources:

  • BusinessWire
  • https://www.phosphorus.io/
  • https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210406005211/en/

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