U.S. Department of Defense to Use Blockchain-Enabled Platform to Safeguard Confidential R&D Data
According to a press release issued on May 12, 2020, cloud-based smart contract as a service (ScaaS) platform SIMBA Chain has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a single, blockchain-powered proof-of-concept to secure sensitive R&D data.
SIMBA Chain to Provide Secure Cloud-Based Data Sharing Platform
In a bid to improve the integration, security, auditability, and controlled access of their confidential data, the U.S. DOD has entrusted SIMBA Chain with a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract worth $200,000.
Per sources close to the matter, the project dubbed Authenticity Ledger for Auditable Military Enclaved Data Access (ALAMEDA) will kick-off from June 1, 2020, until September 30, 2020. Should the Phase I results come out to be encouraging, SIMBA Chain could be awarded a $1 million SBIR Phase II contract aimed toward a broader commercialization strategy.
Notably, the proposed system will help the U.S. DOD to safely and efficiently share documents and scientific dataset with the desired parties. The solution’s infrastructure will allow the Department to share confidential information with an added control layer for adding groups, users, and permissions to documents they share.
SIMBA Chain’s cloud-based ScaaS platform is ideal for the proposed application as it enables users to develop and implement decentralized applications (dApps) for iOS, Android, and other platforms. By leveraging the benefits of distributed ledger technology (DLT), the SIMBA Chain will act as a catalyst to bridge the gap between users and providers without a third-party interface.
Commenting on the development, Joel Neidig, CEO, SIMBA Chain said:
“The DOD, defense contractors, and enterprise level businesses have benefited from mobile devices and how easy it has become to access and exchange date. However, the enhanced flow of information represents a significant security risk. Hence the need for sophisticated blockchain solutions that authenticate and document users, eliminate third party bad actors, and otherwise allow secure direct connections between trusted sources.”
U.S. DOD Bets on Blockchain
The U.S. DOD’s decision to deploy a DLT-based solution to safeguard its most significant and confidential datasets is not something out of the usual.
BTCManager reported last year that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) had tapped blockchain as part of its mission to modernize and advance its digital environment.
