SBIR/STTR Award attributes
To address the Navy’s need for cyber protection of physical avionics inputs, Intellisense Systems, Inc. proposes to continue the development of the Persistent Avionics Threat Chain Hardening (PATCH) system proven feasible in Phase I. The PATCH system is an innovative end-to-end cyber protection framework on aeronautical data through integration of computer/network security procedures and data protection software to ensure that the integrity of the aeronautical data is maintained through all the threat surfaces along the data chain, without causing unnecessary burden on the aircrew or mission planning staff. PATCH uses procedures identified through a comprehensive white hat analysis to minimize the threat surface along the data chain. Its blockchain-based hash tree, integrated with digital signatures, ensures the integrity of aeronautical data and improves their traceability along the data flow path, which can be established through system document review. As a result, PATCH can mitigate all risks, including errant and malicious tampering, that could impact the integrity of the mission-critical aeronautical data at all stages, unlike CRC or hash codes, which can be spoofed, thereby preventing propagation of corrupted data from reaching the aircraft and compromising the mission, which directly addresses the Navy requirements. In Phase II, Intellisense plans to finalize the selection of two Navy platforms with the largest threat surface (such as the T-45 and CH-53K) based on an updated white hat analysis, develop a formal design of the PATCH system to meet platform requirements, implement PATCH algorithms and procedures, develop a formal qualification testing (FQT) plan and a FQT environment, and conduct formal qualification testing on PATCH algorithms and procedures. The FQT environment will also be used to demonstrate that PATCH’s protection is sufficient to mitigate all risks that could compromise the integrity of aeronautical data along the data flow.
