Northrop Grumman lands Air Force network protection deal

Northrop Grumman Corp. has won a contract to develop network security applications that will give the Air Force early warning of information security threats to its forces and coalition partners worldwide.

Under a contract worth $24.8 million over five years, Northrop Grumman Information Technology of McLean, Va., will build a network-based architectural framework that will provide the Air Force with information, computer and network security, damage assessment and recovery, security policy enforcement and response capabilities.

The framework also will integrate various cybersecurity features, including surveillance, indications and warnings, intrusion detection, decision support, recovery and forensics.

The network security applications covered under the contract will support not only the Air Force and its coalition partners, but also intelligence operations and law enforcement agencies.

Northrop Grumman IT will perform the work in Rome, N.Y. The company's team includes Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., ITT Industries Inc., BAE Systems North America Inc., Opnet Technologies Inc., Science Applications International Corp., Symantec Inc., and Assured Information Security Inc. and Dolphin Technology Inc.

Northrop Grumman, which has more than 125,000 employees and annual sales of $29.8 billion, ranks No. 2 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list of federal prime contractors.