RESTON, Va., Jan. 13, 2009 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has won a contract for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) National Cyber Range (NCR), which will provide an environment to test and analyze new concepts and technologies to protect against modern cyber threats.

Northrop Grumman is one of seven firms awarded eight-month study contracts to provide conceptual designs for a future NCR. The Northrop Grumman bid and award of $344,097 is far less than the other awards, because Northrop Grumman currently maintains a test range that already meets some of the NCR requirements for initial operating capability.

"Our Millersville cyber test range is like having the Internet in a bottle," said Bob Frizzelle, Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector vice president and lead executive for the company's cyber network operations campaign. "In a closed lab, we replicate a full rate commercial telecommunications infrastructure with hundreds of computers of various types and operating systems. We build a host domain and hack it from other computers, and record and analyze everything with proven tools that automate the process. We find problems and solutions you can't find any other way. We're even using this approach to test our own Northrop Grumman network. For real cybersecurity, it's the wave of the future."

"Cybersecurity is a fundamental necessity for keeping the nation safe. The NCR will be a major resource for building, testing, and validating technologies as rapidly and efficiently as possible," said Christopher Valentino, NCR program director for Northrop Grumman Information Systems sector. "As a demonstrated leader in cybersecurity analysis and testing, Northrop Grumman is drawing on resources, experience and expertise from across the corporation to provide the best possible solution to our customers and the nation."

DARPA's National Cyber Range is part of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, a major government-wide effort to improve the nation's defenses against pervasive electronic attacks.

"The National Cyber Range will enable multiple experiments designed to produce unbiased, qualitative and quantitative assessments of information assurance and protection," said Michael VanPutte, DARPA's NCR program manager. "Ultimately, the NCR will provide fully automated range and test management suites to test and validate leap-ahead cyber research technologies and systems, and provide vision for iterative and new research directions for the nation."

DARPA ( www.darpa.mil ) is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense. The agency's mission is to maintain the military's technological superiority and prevent technological surprise from harming our national security by sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research and development that bridges the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global information security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

  CONTACT:  Marynoele Benson
          Northrop Grumman Information Systems
          (703) 345-6734
          marynoele.benson@ngc.com

          George I. Seffers
          Northrop Grumman Information Systems
          (703) 345-8548
          george.seffers@ngc.com