US Navy Launches ‘PARANOID’ Blockchain Security Tech

Cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) partners are being sought by the United States Navy to aid in the advancement of its proprietary “PARANOID” blockchain technology

Blockchain-based PARANOID (Powerful Authentication Regime Applicable to Naval Operational Flight Program Integrated Development) safeguards software during development and deployment against cyberattacks.

PARANOID, initially designed and developed for the Naval Air Warfare Center’s Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) located in Lakehurst, New Jersey, was subsequently recognized for its potential utility in any software development undertaking where security is a consideration, not just avionics software for the U.S. Navy.

PARANOID employs blockchain technology to authenticate files across nodes at each stage to ensure software security during development. Each developer action is logged as an entry in the PARANOID blockchain, establishing a comprehensive transaction record.

Modifying, removing, or substituting code or files in an attempt to compromise or attack software during development would result in failed verification against the immutable database of the PARANOID system, which is stored on the blockchain.

TechLink, the “technology transfer partner” of the U.S. Department of Defense, reports in a blog post that the U.S. Navy is granting access to the PARANOID system to private sector entities interested in contributing to its continued research and development.

As stated by TechLink’s senior technology manager, Nida Shaikh:

“An ideal CRADA partner would be a company interested in developing a solution for securing software supply chain. This would include companies in the realm of software development who would be willing to install and test PARANOID for feedback and scalability.”

While it may seem to be the initial proprietary blockchain innovation that the U.S. Navy has commercialized, this is not the first time the military has experimented with the technology.

In the past, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have signed agreements with SIMBA Chain, a data exchange incubated at Notre Dame that employs blockchain technology for supply chain security.