Idaho National Laboratory aids firm in product evaluation

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has reached an agreement with Ampex Data Systems Corp. to improve the cybersecurity firm’s product designed to safeguard industrial controls and critical infrastructure.

Ampex Data Systems recently developed BLUE Lighting, a hardware/software architecture with the goal of providing endpoint cybersecurity for power plants, factories, utilities, and military installations. The system detects intrusions, malware and network abnormalities in real time.

“INL came very highly recommended to us, from more than one person,” Jim Orahood, Ampex Data Systems vice president and general manager, said. “There are roughly half-a-dozen companies providing cybersecurity products for utilities and institutions, but BLUE Lighting stands apart because it is low in the stack. This provides information about malicious activity at the ingest point and not after the fact.”

INL offers expertise to small businesses that intersect and support the laboratory’s mission areas under its Technical Assistance Program. Requested services cannot substantially compete with services available from the private sector, must fall within INL areas of expertise, and must not interfere with ongoing INL programs. Additionally, requested assistance cannot exceed more than 40 hours per application.

“INL enters into roughly six to 12 TAP agreements each year,” Stephanie Cook, INL program manager for Technology Based Economic Development, said. “The agreement with Ampex represents the first involving the lab’s Cybercore Integration Center. INL’s expertise in protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure fits well with Ampex’s goal of testing and maturing its technology.”