SBIR-STTR Award

Predictive Analysis Tools for PBA/IPB:Automated Course of Action Modeling
Award last edited on: 4/26/2007

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : AF
Total Award Amount
$1,280,844
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
AF05-095
Principal Investigator
James K Williams

Company Information

Zel Technologies LLC (AKA: ZelTech)

54 Old Hampton Lane
Hampton, VA 23669
   (757) 722-5565
   businessdev@zeltech.com
   www.zeltech.com
Location: Multiple
Congr. District: 03
County: Hampton city

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2005
Phase I Amount
$99,881
Zel Technologies proposes an important subset of the full capabilities requested in this topic. We offer to augment Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (JIPB) tools, Automated Assistance to IPB (A2IPB) and Intelligence Preparation of the Information Battlespace (IPIB), with a capability for automatic modeling of Courses of Action. Currently, COA development entails substantial manual analyst effort, to the extent that the labor requirement is the main user complaint about JIPB tools. We propose to demonstrate the feasibility of automated production of COA models by treating a variety of JIPB domains as complex networks, inserting topological network penetration analysis algorithms developed by George Mason University's Center for Secure Information Systems to expand and instantiate enemy sub-goals in effects-based COAs, and remapping the resulting topological attack graphs back into Attack Trees and COA scenarios in A2IPB and/or IPIB

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2006
Phase II Amount
$1,180,963
Zel Technologies proposes an operational prototype of its Automated Course of Action (COA) Modeling (ACAM) Phase I feasibility demonstration to provide an automated means of developing friendly and enemy Courses COAs. ACAM augments Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Environment (IPE) tools with a capability for automatic modeling. Currently, COA development entails substantial manual analytical and data entry effort, to the extent that the labor requirement is the main user complaint about IPE predictive analysis tools. The George Mason University Center for Secure Information Systems has developed a topological network vulnerability analysis (TVA) engine for information assurance. In the ACAM proof of concept, we demonstrated the feasibility of using IPE to model a variety of kinetic and cyberspace domains as complex networks and adapting TVA to analyze those complex networks to expand and instantiate enemy goals into effects-based COAs in the form of Attack Trees (AT). The feasibility demonstration proved that it is possible to populate IPE ATs for strategic and operational goals in addition to tactical levels. For Phase II, we propose to integrate and extend the ACAM tool to provide a system suitable for exercises, experiments, integration into the AFRL Collaboration Gateway, and technology transition in operational environments.

Keywords:
Joint Intelligence Preparation Of The Environment, Predictive Battlespace Awareness, Predictive Course Of Action Modeling, Attack Trees, Attack Graphs