Last week, DARPA issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) soliciting research proposals for the Active Authentication program, which wants change the current form of Department of Defense (DoD) network security by developing software-based biometric authentication technologies. The current system using an ID card and a password to validate the identity of individuals seeking to access the DoD networks.
The Active Authentication program is examining the “unique factors that make up the individual…without requiring the deployment of additional hardware sensors”, DARPA said in its BAA.
The first phase of the program will focus on the behavioral traits that can be observed when individuals interact with technology, known as their “cognitive fingerprint”, DARPA explained. These behaviors include how the user handles the mouse and crafts written language in an e-mail or document.
The BAA is seeking research proposals for this initial phase of the program. Later phases will focus on developing products that integrate software-based biometric technology into authentication platforms for deployment on a standard DoD desktop or laptop.