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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Cyber Resilience as a Deterrence Strategy

This paper was written by the Cyber Deterrence and Resilience Strategic Initiative in partnership with the Resilience Energy Systems Strategic Initiative. Resilience and deterrence are both part of a comprehensive cyber strategy where tactics may overlap across defense, resilience, deterrence, and other strategic spaces. This paper explores how building resiliency in cyberspace can not only serve to strengthen the defender's posture and capabilities in a general sense but also deter adversaries from attacking.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2012

Towards Reliable Evaluation of Anomaly-Based Intrusion Detection Performance

This report describes the results of research into the effects of environment-induced noise on the evaluation process for anomaly detectors in the cyber security domain. This research was conducted during a 10-week summer internship program from the 19th of August, 2012 to the 23rd of August, 2012 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The research performed lies within the larger context of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Smart Grid cyber security project, a Department of Energy (DoE) funded effort involving the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California/ Information Sciences Institute. The results of the present effort constitute an important contribution towards building more rigorous evaluation paradigms for anomaly-based intrusion detectors in complex cyber physical systems such as the Smart Grid. Anomaly detection is a key strategy for cyber intrusion detection and operates by identifying deviations from profiles of nominal behavior and are thus conceptually appealing for detecting "novel" attacks. Evaluating the performance of such a detector requires assessing: (a) how well it captures the model of nominal behavior, and (b) how well it detects attacks (deviations from normality). Current evaluation methods produce results that give insufficient insight into the operation of a detector, inevitably resulting in a significantly poor characterization of a detectors performance. In this work, we first describe a preliminary taxonomy of key evaluation constructs that are necessary for establishing rigor in the evaluation regime of an anomaly detector. We then focus on clarifying the impact of the operational environment on the manifestation of attacks in monitored data. We show how dynamic and evolving environments can introduce high variability into the data stream perturbing detector performance. Prior research has focused on understanding the impact of this variability in training data for anomaly detectors, but has ignored variability in the attack signal that will necessarily affect the evaluation results for such detectors. We posit that current evaluation strategies implicitly assume that attacks always manifest in a stable manner; we show that this assumption is wrong. We describe a simple experiment to demonstrate the effects of environmental noise on the manifestation of attacks in data and introduce the notion of attack manifestation stability. Finally, we argue that conclusions about detector performance will be unreliable and incomplete if the stability of attack manifestation is not accounted for in the evaluation strategy.

cyber defense↗
DOE OSTI2023

Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Cohort 1: Authentication and Authorization

In the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Biden-Harris Administration defines the need for a "defensible, resilient digital ecosystem where it is costlier to attack systems than defend them." The strategy cites the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA) as an exemplary effort to bolster the security and resilience of clean energy generation. These efforts help "secure the clean energy grid of the future and [generate] security best practices that extend to other critical infrastructure sectors" and promise broad and far-reaching impacts to bridge the capabilities of private industry and the needs of energy production. Cohort 1 of CECA launched in the fall of 2022 with a focus on solutions that provide strong authentication and authorization for industrial control systems to mitigate attacks on the energy grid. Authentication and authorization verify that the identity (authentication) and permissions (authorization) of a user or device are aligned with their assigned roles. Weaknesses in either can have serious repercussions. To assess the strength of Cohort 1's solutions, CECA devised threat scenarios grounded in historical precedents: the CECA team reviewed exploits from real-world case studies of state-sponsored actors to match the assessment's attack paths and targets. Cohort 1 results provided the energy industry, product vendors, and related agencies valuable insights into the efficacy and applicability of solutions in common system configurations under realistic threat scenarios. The results of the assessment highlight points for interrogation and improvement in subsequent technology iterations. CECA's evaluations are part of an ongoing conversation and collaboration to bolster U.S. cyber resilience against adversaries today and in the future.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS2012

Mission Assurance Modeling and Simulation: A Cyber Security Roadmap

This paper proposes a cyber security modeling and simulation roadmap to enhance mission assurance governance and establish risk reduction processes within constrained budgets. The term mission assurance stems from risk management work by Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute in the late 19905. By 2010, the Defense Information Systems Agency revised its cyber strategy and established the Program Executive Officer-Mission Assurance. This highlights a shift from simply protecting data to balancing risk and begins a necessary dialogue to establish a cyber security roadmap. The Military Operations Research Society has recommended a cyber community of practice, recognizing there are too few professionals having both cyber and analytic experience. The authors characterize the limited body of knowledge in this symbiotic relationship. This paper identifies operational and research requirements for mission assurance M&S supporting defense and homeland security. M&S techniques are needed for enterprise oversight of cyber investments, test and evaluation, policy, training, and analysis.

Gendron, Gerald↗
DOE OSTI2025

A chromosome-level genome assembly of the varied leaved jewelflower, Streptanthus diversifolius, reveals a recent whole genome duplication

Abstract The Streptanthoid complex, a clade of primarily Streptanthus and Caulanthus species in the Thelypodieae (Brassicaceae) is an emerging model system for ecological and evolutionary studies. This complex spans the full range of the California Floristic Province including desert, foothill, and mountain environments. The ability of these related species to radiate into dramatically different environments makes them a desirable study subject for exploring how plant species expand their ranges and adapt to new environments over time. Ecological and evolutionary studies for this complex have revealed fascinating variation in serpentine soil adaptation, defense compounds, germination, flowering, and life history strategies. Until now a lack of publicly available genome assemblies has hindered the ability to relate these phenotypic observations to their underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms. To help remedy this situation, we present here a chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of Streptanthus diversifolius, a member of the Streptanthoid Complex, developed using Illumina, Hi-C, and HiFi sequencing technologies. Construction of this assembly also provides further evidence to support the previously reported recent whole genome duplication unique to the Thelypodieae. This whole genome duplication may have provided individuals in the Streptanthoid Complex the genetic arsenal to rapidly radiate throughout the California Floristic Province and to occupy commonly inhospitable environments including serpentine soils.

Genetics & Heredity↗
NASA NTRS2012

NIRPS: A Year of Progress and Challenge

In the past 14 months NIRPS has gone from an idea on a sheet of paper to a working organization, performing tasks of national scale. NIRPS is beginning to establish itself among the Propulsion Community. Need is recognized for a coordination and integration function across the US Government s propulsion activities. NIRPS acts as a collaboration agent - serves as a catalyst and multi-agency facilitator NIRPS is leading a high-priority Government-wide task. 2012 Defense Authorization Act, Sec 1095; Develop National Rocket Propulsion Strategy. Beginning to perform in accordance with Grand Challenges. Performing to an Executable plan, adjusting to to Center and Agency priorities. Challenges remain to building a sustainable Institute. Effective integration and Coordination with other Government Agencies. Continued Active engagement with Industry and Academia. Building an Efficient and Responsive Governance System for a growing Institute.

Thomas, Dale↗
DOE OSTI2024

1. Physical Security Engineering by Design for Nuclear Facilities; 2. Nuclear Power Plant Site Security Management – A Security Strategy; 3. The UAE Women in Nuclear Energy Security

1. Security by design, or SeBD, is a comprehensive approach that integrates the physical protection system of a nuclear plant into every stage of its existence. This includes planning, designing, constructing, commissioning, and operating the facility, using a combination of analytical, physical, technological, and procedural measures. Essentially, SeBD involves intentionally applying and incorporating security into all aspects of design and operation throughout the entire lifecycle of a facility. By implementing this methodology throughout various phases such as program development, process implementation, staff training and procedures management in conjunction with plant equipment, facilities can be optimized to minimize security risks without compromising functional design requirements. This ultimately improves the overall security posture of the site and reduces the need for costly modifications or additional security resources post-design. 2. A site security strategy is a living document that is revised on a periodic or event-driven basis, ensuring that site security operations and corresponding procedures provide long-term, effective protection for the entire nuclear power plant (NPP) site. A site security strategy aims to mitigate threats across the entire NPP site via in-depth defense approaches and mutual support; therefore, if a layer is omitted or altered, then the effect across all layers must be re-evaluated. Therefore, the aim of the site security strategy is to provide an appropriate, scalable security regime that deters, denies, delays, and detects incidents and, equally importantly, reassures legitimate users and the regulator that due diligence and regulatory compliance have been achieved, ensuring that the site is safe and secure. Robust access control for vehicles and pedestrians is at the heart of the strategy. Vehicle and pedestrian searching and screening are seen as the strongest mitigation methods against vehicle- and pedestrian-borne attacks. The security strategy must also be supported through comprehensive staff training and the development of robust processes, procedures, and planning. If all these measures are to be effective, then training must be implemented during each phase of construction, partial operation/commissioning, and full operation. No single element of site security is completely isolated from the influence of other elements. Ideally, consideration of all key elements will result in a security strategy that is integrated and proportional to the threat and that does not over specify individual security solutions through the application of isolated measures but rather applies a holistic, all-encompassing approach. 3. When women enter the labor force, numerous positive outcomes emerge, including increased GDP, educational gains, and decreased maternal mortality. Despite these benefits, women's employment rates and equality vary significantly worldwide as does support for women in the workforce. This paper will explore the multifaceted benefits of women's employment, the factors influencing labor force participation rates, and the urgency to achieve gender equality as outlined in the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will then examine the emerging presence of women in the traditionally male-dominated nuclear field, specifically within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a testament to their resilience and determination to break social norms and advance gender equality.

Zineddin, Dr. Z.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Hayabusa2#’s Exploration to Asteroids 2001 CC21 and 1998 KY26 Provides Key Insights Into Planetary Defense

The Hayabusa2 extended mission, nicknamed Hayabusa2# (SHARP: Small Hazardous Asteroid Reconnaissance Probe), started its mission after the Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully returned in December 2020 to the Earth with Ryugu's samples and released the Sample Return Capsule containing it. Hayabusa2#’s key operations include flying by Near Earth Asteroid (98943) 2001 CC21 and rendezvousing with Near-Earth Asteroid 1998 KY26. The flyby is planned to be in 2026, and the rendezvous will be in 2031. Detailed investigations of these targets enable maturing key knowledge and technologies necessary for planetary defense. This paper reviews the characteristics of these targets and strategies to maximize outcomes from the mission. The spacecraft will fly by 2001 CC21 at a speed of ~5 km/s in 2026. Given constraints on the spacecraft condition, not designed to perform a flyby operation, operational plans require careful assessments to maximize the proximity observations of this asteroid. The ~700 m diameter asteroid's shape is currently unknown, though lightcurve observations suggest the asteroid is elongated. While the spin pole is not constrained well, the spin period is about 5.02 h with uncertainties of 0.01 h [1]. The taxonomic class may be L-type, which implies the presence of Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI), one of the primitive materials in the solar system [2], although there are studies suggesting an S-type. Therefore, this must be carefully examined. Photometric and spectroscopic observations will strongly constrain this asteroid’s properties. Our rendezvous target, 1998 KY26, is a ~30 m diameter roundish object spinning at a spin period of 10.7 min, which may represent one of the common groups of Near Earth Asteroids in size and composition that give a higher likelihood of threatening the Earth. Radar and optical observations reconstructed this asteroid's shape with high uncertainties and inferred that its surface composition might be similar to that of carbonaceous asteroids [3]. No spacecraft has ever visited such small bodies. Hayabusa2# visiting 1998 KY26 will be the first mission to document its geophysical properties, offering strong insights into what most frequent invaders look like [4].

Hayabusa2#↗
DOE OSTI2020

National Security Research Center 2021 Strategic Plan

The National Security Research Center (NSRC) is a dynamic organization staffed with an expert, highly trained experts. The NSRC opened its doors in June 2019, making it one of the newest large organizations at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). It supports a broad range of researchers within the LANL Weapons Program, customers across other National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) labs and sites, and partners in the Department of Defense (DoD). The maintenance and growth of the NSRC necessitate strategy and foresight. The NSRC leadership has developed a series of strategic goals through discussions with NSRC staff, customers, LANL leadership, and similar research institutions around the country to guide the NSRC leadership in moving the Center forward over the next five years.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multiple lineages of Streptomyces produce antimicrobials within passalid beetle galleries across eastern North America

Some insects form symbioses in which actinomycetes provide defense against pathogens by making antimicrobials. The range of chemical strategies employed across these associations, and how these strategies relate to insect lifestyle, remains underexplored. We assessed subsocial passalid beetles of the species Odontotaenius disjunctus , and their frass (fecal material), which is an important food resource within their galleries, as a model insect/actinomycete system. Through chemical and phylogenetic analyses, we found that O. disjunctus frass collected across eastern North America harbored multiple lineages of Streptomyces and diverse antimicrobials. Metabolites detected in frass displayed synergistic and antagonistic inhibition of a fungal entomopathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae , and multiple streptomycete isolates inhibited this pathogen when co-cultivated directly in frass. These findings support a model in which the lifestyle of O. disjunctus accommodates multiple Streptomyces lineages in their frass, resulting in a rich repertoire of antimicrobials that likely insulates their galleries against pathogenic invasion.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2001

Plants, plant pathogens, and microgravity--a deadly trio

Plants grown in spaceflight conditions are more susceptible to colonization by plant pathogens. The underlying causes for this enhanced susceptibility are not known. Possibly the formation of structural barriers and the activation of plant defense response components are impaired in spaceflight conditions. Either condition would result from altered gene expression of the plant. Because of the tools available, past studies focused on a few physiological responses or biochemical pathways. With recent advances in genomics research, new tools, including microarray technologies, are available to examine the global impact of growth in the spacecraft on the plant's gene expression profile. In ground-based studies, we have developed cDNA subtraction libraries of rice that are enriched for genes induced during pathogen infection and the defense response. Arrays of these genes are being used to dissect plant defense response pathways in a model system involving wild-type rice plants and lesion mimic mutants. The lesion mimic mutants are ideal experimental tools because they erratically develop defense response-like lesions in the absence of pathogens. The gene expression profiles from these ground-based studies will provide the molecular basis for understanding the biochemical and physiological impacts of spaceflight on plant growth, development and disease defense responses. This, in turn, will allow the development of strategies to manage plant disease for life in the space environment.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗
DOE OSTI2026

Divergent trait controls on soluble sugars and starch underlie global strategies of tree carbohydrate storage

Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) stores buffer tree metabolism, osmotic regulation, and defense, thereby mediating tolerance and survival under climate extremes. Yet, the functional and evolutionary determinants of interspecific variation in NSC remain elusive, limiting understanding and prediction of forest carbon allocation and mortality under global change. Here, we present a cross-species synthesis of NSC concentrations across multiple organs for 281 woody species from 102 mixed forest communities worldwide, where we quantified species-specific deviations from community means to disentangle intrinsic trait effects from environmental and methodological variation. We found phylogenetic signals in NSC deviations, with coniferous gymnosperms and evergreen species consistently maintaining lower stem soluble sugars and starch concentrations than co-occurring angiosperms and deciduous species, respectively. A global pattern emerged where greater stomatal sensitivity to leaf water potential was associated with declines in the relative concentrations of both sugars and starch. In contrast, xylem hydraulic safety traits showed weak and organ-dependent relationships with NSC concentrations. Sugars increased with photosynthetic capacity and declined with wood density, whereas starch showed the reverse pattern, which aligned with the distinct functional-metabolic roles of sugars and starch. By integrating trait-based ecology with a community-centered framework, our study provides global evidence that stomatal regulation, photosynthetic capacity, specific leaf area, and wood density jointly govern interspecific NSC variation, through contrasting effects on sugars and starch. These are among the most broadly measured traits globally, thus the emergent carbohydrate–trait relationships can have broad applications toward understanding and predicting forest growth and survival under climate change.

tropic system↗
DOE OSTI2025

Blending as an In-Tank Waste Processing Strategy: Year 1 Progress Report

The Hanford Site stores approximately 56 million gallons of radioactive legacy defense waste in underground tanks. Direct feed of southeast quadrant tank waste to a high-level waste treatment facility is currently being explored to accelerate tank treatment activities. This study seeks to de-risk waste transfers by favorably altering the resuspension and critical velocities of wastes through strategic waste blending. Wastes rich in aluminum- and zirconium-bearing solids pose significant risks due to their high settled strength and density. A series of tests explores how solid phase particle size and suspending phase chemistry alter waste transport properties, quantified through the just-suspended mixing speed (NJS), for pure and blended aluminum- and zirconium-bearing waste solid simulants. The study utilizes a range of gibbsites (three sizes spanning 10 to 90 µm) and zirconia solids (three sizes spanning 10 to 100 µm). As expected, the NJS of pure solids largely follows predictions based on literature correlations; blends of gibbsite and zirconium-bearing solids of differing particle sizes exhibit NJS maxima attributed to dense packing of the mixed-size settled solids. The findings of this study will assist in developing strategies to optimize the transport of waste solids for the safe and efficient delivery of tank waste.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2023

Sensitivity Analysis of Effectiveness of FLEX Strategies Using a CDF-Based Importance Measure Under Accident Conditions

One of the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) accident is strengthening the station blackout (SBO) mitigation capabilities by enhancing defense in depth for all existing and new NPPs. One of the possible remedies is diverse and flexible coping strategies (FLEX). The objective of this study is to address the benefits of FLEX in various accident scenarios in terms of both risk and cost. FLEX was originally devised against SBO accidents. In this research, we investigate the fundamental plant responses against accidents considering two fundamentally different cases: accidents that lead to high pressure on the primary side and accidents that lead to low pressure on the primary side. Several uncertainties are associated with the characteristics of the FLEX portable equipment. Specifically, the time for FLEX deployment may depend on several factors such as type of accident, point of injection, availability of safety systems, battery backup timings, and human actions. This study utilizes a dynamic risk assessment framework to analyze accident scenarios and suggests a novel importance measure, which is a cumulative distribution function– based importance metric that characterizes the influence of input distribution on complete output distribution. The importance of the existing and newly developed FLEX strategy based on risk significance is illustrated with examples. The suggested measure provides clear insight into how FLEX affects risk of the whole system and additional risk margins thanks to new safety systems.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Antimicrobial Peptide Mimics for Clinical Use: Does Size Matter?

The search for efficient antimicrobial therapies that can alleviate suffering caused by infections from resistant bacteria is more urgent than ever before. Infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens represent a significant and increasing burden to healthcare and society and researcher are investigating new classes of bioactive compounds to slow down this development. Antimicrobial peptides from the innate immune system represent one promising class that offers a potential solution to the antibiotic resistance problem due to their mode of action on the microbial membranes. However, challenges associated with pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and off-target toxicity are slowing down the advancement and use of innate defensive peptides. Improving the therapeutic properties of these peptides is a strategy for reducing the clinical limitations and synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides are emerging as a promising class of molecules for a variety of antimicrobial applications. These compounds can be made significantly shorter while maintaining, or even improving antimicrobial properties, and several downsized synthetic mimics are now in clinical development for a range of infectious diseases. A variety of strategies can be employed to prepare these small compounds and this review describes the different compounds developed to date by adhering to a minimum pharmacophore based on an amphiphilic balance between cationic charge and hydrophobicity. These compounds can be made as small as dipeptides, circumventing the need for large compounds with elaborate three-dimensional structures to generate simplified and potent antimicrobial mimics for a range of medical applications. This review highlights key and recent development in the field of small antimicrobial peptide mimics as a promising class of antimicrobials, illustrating just how small you can go.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2011

Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Technology Development Roadmap

The Lunar Surface Systems Supportability Technology Development Roadmap is a guide for developing the technologies needed to enable the supportable, sustainable, and affordable exploration of the Moon and other destinations beyond Earth. Supportability is defined in terms of space maintenance, repair, and related logistics. This report considers the supportability lessons learned from NASA and the Department of Defense. Lunar Outpost supportability needs are summarized, and a supportability technology strategy is established to make the transition from high logistics dependence to logistics independence. This strategy will enable flight crews to act effectively to respond to problems and exploit opportunities in an environment of extreme resource scarcity and isolation. The supportability roadmap defines the general technology selection criteria. Technologies are organized into three categories: diagnostics, test, and verification; maintenance and repair; and scavenge and recycle. Furthermore, "embedded technologies" and "process technologies" are used to designate distinct technology types with different development cycles. The roadmap examines the current technology readiness level and lays out a four-phase incremental development schedule with selection decision gates. The supportability technology roadmap is intended to develop technologies with the widest possible capability and utility while minimizing the impact on crew time and training and remaining within the time and cost constraints of the program.

Oeftering, Richard C.↗