DHS Awards Nearly $1M to Small Business to Secure NG9-1-1 Multimedia Content

Newswise — Washington, D.C. – Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) technology will allow responders and the public to employ real-time text, images, video, and voice calls during emergencies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program recently awarded $997,526.67 to San Antonio, Texas-based small business SecureLogix to secure that data against increased cyber threats.

“While NG9-1-1 technologies will enhance the current capabilities of today’s 911 systems by enabling multimedia sharing and connectivity, we must ensure these critical emergency response networks remain resilient and reliably operational,”said Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology.

The DHS SBIR Program, administered by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), selected SecureLogix for a Phase II award following their successful demonstration of feasibility in Phase I and the proposed Phase II development of their architecture that expands on voice/call threats and secures NG9-1-1 multimedia content technology solutions.

“The DHS SBIR Program is an excellent opportunity for small businesses to develop cutting-edge technology for homeland security end users and grow their business capabilities,” said Dusty Lang, DHS SBIR Director. “I am looking forward to seeing how the partnership with SecureLogix can help support DHS Component needs.”

SecureLogix will continue their research and development efforts on an architecture that supports the Emergency Communications Cybersecurity Center (EC3) concept, which centralizes security processing functions for regions, states, or at the national level. SecureLogix, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, will conduct a more thorough threat assessment and develop the architecture to their proposed technology that addresses the most significant threats from audio, text, images and video.

“The ever-increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks on Public Safety Answering Points, EC3, and Emergency Operations Centers demand that cutting-edge technical enhancements must be developed and put in place to protect NG9-1-1 center operations against Telephony Denial of Service attacks, ransomware, Zero-day, and other advanced attacks,” said David Nolan, DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Program Manager. “Accurate, real-time communications are the essence of NG9-1-1 and require all public safety entities to work together to provide life-saving services to those in need of emergency services.”

At the completion of the 24-month Phase II contract, SBIR awardees will have developed a prototype to demonstrate the advancement of the technology, spearheading the potential for Phase III funding. Under Phase III, SBIR performers will seek to secure funding from private and/or non-SBIR government sources, with the eventual goal to commercialize and bring to market the technologies from Phase I and II.

For more information on the DHS SBIR Program, visit: https://sbir2.st.dhs.gov or contact STSBIR.Program@hq.dhs.gov.

For more information on S&T’s innovation programs and tools, visit: https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/work-with-st.