C3I Applied Cyber

The C3I Applied Cyber program is designed to enhance the Army's cyber capabilities through research and development of cyber architectures, software, tools, and techniques. This initiative focuses on enabling Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) to counter adversary communications and strengthen the Army's tactical communications networks against cyber threats. The program aims to develop offensive capabilities for identifying and exploiting data on targeted networks, as well as defensive measures to protect tactical networks from nation-state level cyber-attacks. The research aligns with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering's priorities and supports the Army Modernization Strategy.

Within this program, the Information Trust Technology project is dedicated to developing defensive cyber technologies that ensure data integrity across networks. It emphasizes enhancing system access without compromising personnel authentication, maintaining information provenance, and integrating zero trust principles for continuous risk assessment. This project complements other advanced development efforts and is conducted by the C5ISR Center. Key accomplishments include investigating cryptographic algorithms for secure communication in low-bandwidth environments and exploring zero trust concepts adaptable to tactical network architectures.

Network Access and Effects Technology explores machine learning applications to support Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO) and Radio Frequency (RF) capabilities. This project aims to reduce timelines for exploiting emerging targets, developing courses of action, and executing offensive capabilities in complex battlefield environments. Planned activities include investigating vulnerabilities of targets using artificial intelligence reasoning engines informed by battlefield intelligence. The work is performed by the C5ISR Center and aligns with broader modernization strategies.

Autonomous Cyber Technology focuses on applying robust cybersecurity techniques to protect wireless tactical networks against sophisticated cyber threats. The project investigates predictive intelligent networking, network obscuration, and proactive cyber defense methodologies. Efforts include developing algorithms for machine learning-enabled network analysis tools, experimenting with adversarial machine learning defenses, and creating high interaction honeynets/pots for tactical environments. This research is conducted by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and C5ISR Center, supporting end-to-end network resiliency against adversarial attacks.