New Consortium To Focus On Cyber Research

Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday the launch of a research consortium with three universities aimed at providing new tools and methods for countering cyber threats. The defense and intelligence community contractor will be working on research projects with Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and Carnegie Mellon University's Cybersecurity Education and Research Center. Northrop Grumman's Robert Brammer said his firm is spending "millions of dollars" on the five-year project with the three universities but would not give a specific figure on the company's investment. He said the consortium will combine "outstanding people and the flexibility and visionary style of leading research universities." The initiative, which will likely go beyond the initial five years, will involve 10 projects at the three universities along with complimentary research at Northrop Grumman, Brammer said. Purdue University's Eugene Spafford noted that the projects are aimed at looking ahead to future threats and problems instead of being reactive, which is what usually occurs today, he added.