Military trusted computing experts eye metadata tampering in geospatial intelligence imagery
SPRINGFIELD, Va. – U.S. military intelligence experts are approaching industry to find companies able to study the potential and effects of metadata tampering in geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to enhance cyber security and trusted computing in intelligence applications.
Officials of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in Springfield, Va., released a solicitation Friday (HM0476-16-BAA-0001 [Topic9]) for the Metadata Tampering Study portion of the Boosting Innovative GEOINT (BIG) program.
GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence (IMINT), and geospatial information. GEOINT metadata, meanwhile, is an embedded description of these intelligence images. Tampered metadata can contain hidden computer viruses, spyware, or other malware.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is a combat-support agency under the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and an intelligence agency of the U.S. intelligence community. The organization collects, analyzes, and distributes GEOINT for national security purposes. Until 2003 it was known as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency until 2003.
The BIG program's metadata tampering study will investigate potential effects of cyber threats contained in intelligence imagery metadata, ways to detect and prevent metadata tampering, and approaches to sanitizing tampered metadata.
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The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is starting to use diverse data sources to address warfighter needs and knowledge gaps when using open-source, commercially available, and government data taken from dedicated sensors and powerful digital signal processing.
This kind of signal chain particularly is vulnerable to cyber threats like metadata tampering, and agency officials want to find ways to safeguard the nation's geospatial intelligence. To do this they are taking a two-step approach: white papers, and full proposals.
Companies submitting promising white papers may be invited to submit proposals for yearlong studies. Agency officials may award as many as three study contracts collectively worth about $1 million.
Companies interested should email four-page white papers in searchable .PDF format no later than 11 June 2018 to [email protected].
For questions or concerns contact Nilda E. Lugo by email at [email protected], or by phone at 571-558-7264. Also contact Matthew Parker by email at [email protected], or by phone at 571-557-1904.
More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/4186f759f4fa43fb52c3d3d1bc14bccf.
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John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
