DHS finds a technology partner in the Energy Department

The Department of Homeland Security is leaning on the Energy Department’s resources and know-how to push forward on some of its technology efforts, an official said Thursday during the Billington CyberSecurity Summit in Washington, D.C.

Samuel Howerton, chief scientist within DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate, was on stage for a fireside conversation with Andrew McClure, director of DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response. 

“We have a great relationship with the Department of Energy, CESER, Office of Science, [National Nuclear Security Administration] and we spend a lot of time down at the DOE national labs,” Howerton said during the event. “They have not only the platforms that we need to do some of this work but also the technical workforce as well.” 

Howerton said creating a cyber-physical ecosystem, automated defense systems and proactive cybersecurity capabilities were among DHS’s longer-term investments that DOE is supporting.

DHS is also partnering with the Energy Department on its Genesis Mission. The DOE-led project kicked off nearly one year ago as a way to rally around advancements in AI, quantum and high-performance computing, and use the tech to expedite scientific workflows. 

The Genesis Mission has since evolved to take on a whole-of-government approach, with expanded goals and larger investments. In turn, the project’s initial set of 26 national challenges grew to 33 in July, acting as a call to action for industry, researchers and other innovators. 

Among the new challenges, DHS outlined two of its own goals. 

The first was “Software Understanding for National Security,” which aims to develop AI-driven tools that can autonomously verify and assure the safety and security of software-controlled systems. The second challenge was “Early Detection and Attribution of Biological Threats,” and the goal is to shrink detection and response timelines, deter adversaries and protect Americans from misuse of biotechnology. 

“By launching these new challenges, DHS is taking decisive action to ensure our nation remains resilient against evolving threats and continues to lead in scientific innovation,” Pedro Allende, under secretary for science and technology at DHS, said in a statement announcing the new challenges. “Our investments in software assurance and biotechnology will provide lasting advantages for national security, public safety, and economic competitiveness.”

Howerton echoed the sentiment on stage Thursday. 

“These are the sort of spaces that we’re invested in right now and trying to get ahead of the curve,” Howerton said. “It really comes down to us and the R&D establishment, not just at DHS S&T, to try to look over the horizon a tiny bit, recognizing that the amount of time that we have to do that is much shorter than what we were trained to do back in university.”