Department of Defense Seeks New Overarching Cyberthreat Watchdog

The Department of Defense is soliciting industry proposals for its Advanced Rapid Analysis of Cyber Hunt Network Infrastructure Data program to address digital threats on various DOD and partner networks.

According to a solicitation published by the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit on Monday, the preferred proposals are readily available and commercially viable solutions providing such capabilities as ingesting layer 2 and layer 3 network device configuration files and packet capture files, DefenseScoop reported.

The cyberthreat solutions must be capable of identifying, analyzing and exposing malicious cyber actors’ behaviors, capabilities and infrastructure, according to the solicitation.

In a cyberthreat hunt, the tool should enable its users to seek innovative and efficient approaches to rapidly map network devices, it added.  

Users must also be able to run the ARACHNID tool even without cloud resources and internet access and go on a particular cyberthreat hunting case as an invited network guest, the DIU said. The deadline for the proposals is Nov. 17.  

The solicitation comes as the DIU is working toward implementing its 3.0 strategic plan to deepen collaboration among Pentagon offices, military services, partners and allies to better utilize commercial technologies for warfighters.