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Raytheon, GammaTech developing new malware detection tool

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Raytheon BBN Technologies and GammaTech Inc. are working to develop tools and techniques to help government agencies combat malware in network-enabled devices.

The collaboration comes under a $4.8 million contract for the VET, or Vetting Commodity IT Software and Firmware, program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

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Raytheon said with its partner it will develop ways for organizations to inspect the software and firmware that exist inside network-enabled devices -- such as mobile phones, network routers and computer workstations -- to discover and root out malware.

"The U.S. Department of Defense relies on equipment with components manufactured all over the world," said Jack Marin, vice president for Cyber Security at Raytheon BBN Technologies. "Any backdoors, malicious code or other vulnerabilities hidden in those components could enable an adversary to do serious damage, including the exfiltration of sensitive data and the sabotage of critical operations.

"The VET program seeks to enable Department of Defense analysts to vigorously vet software and firmware devices before they are connected to our critical networks."

Added GammaTech Chief Executive Officer Tim Teitelbaum: "Our scientists are developing new technology that aims to advance the state-of-the-art for analyzing machine code. We are leveraging these advances to create a tool that could confirm the absence of broad classes of vulnerabilities."

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