NASA Licenses Cybersecurity Technology to Equator Corporation

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Sep 12, 2019, 14:51 ET

GREENBELT, Md., Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporations, individuals and governments are looking for ways to harden systems against hacking, which is why a Washington, D.C.-based company, Equator Corporation, licensed a unique, patented NASA cybersecurity technology this year.

Equator worked with the Strategic Partnerships Office (SPO) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for an exclusive license to the technology. As a tool in the fight against cyberattacks, the innovation utilizes unique attributes not employed by other approaches.

"This is a great opportunity for NASA's technology to help increase the security of network systems across the country," said Eric McGill, a senior technology manager with SPO.

"Combined with additional Equator proprietary tools, the ability for hackers to gain access and take data from protected systems is stopped with our technology," said Robert Woods, president and CEO of Equator.

Data breach rates and severity are on the rise, with consequences for corporations and consumers that include identity theft and liability for loss of sensitive information. Companies that fall victim to data breaches also incur an unfavorable brand image, and significant monetary penalties are being imposed for failing to keep data secure.

The NASA cybersecurity technology is a monitoring system that analyzes data for suspicious behavior. It collects appropriate user information from devices, workstations and facilities to identify the behavior patterns of authorized individuals. The system can detect activity that seems to be new or unauthorized based on its ability to continuously collect and analyze authorized behavior from multiple locations.

Developed to rapidly identify unauthorized users without requiring major infrastructure changes, the technology was developed by inventors at Goddard and NASA Headquarters who wanted to find new ways to improve cybersecurity within the agency.

"What we're finding is that the lack of sufficient corporate action to protect their systems is leading to increased government fines and court action from consumers affected," Woods stated. "We're starting to see companies being held accountable, and therefore the executives are taking notice and acting to reduce the risk."

Founded in 2008 by Woods, Equator Corporation provides services in cybersecurity, project management, engineering, technical management and training to a host of clients, including NASA.

Woods said that the technology will serve as part of his company's holistic approach to cybersecurity. As businesses, universities, governments and individuals grapple with the ever-evolving threat of data breaches, Equator plans to implement the technology to provide needed protection.

For more information on the Strategic Partnerships Office, visit:

https://partnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html

For information on licensing NASA technology, visit:

https://technology.nasa.gov/

SOURCE NASA