DoD looks to head off future MyDoom worms

A subsidiary of San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. won a contract to develop a prototype system that will protect military networks from malicious software, such as the recent MyDoom worm.

Telcordia Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp., won a contract from the Defense Department to develop a prototype system that will protect military networks from malicious software, such as the recent MyDoom worm.

The cost-plus fixed-fee contract is valued at $8 million, according to a Defense Department statement.

Piscataway, N.J.-based Telcordia Technologies will develop, test and validate the distributed network system. Work is scheduled to be completed by January 2007.

The Defense Department is looking for a system that can effectively detect and quarantine worms and viruses before they infect devices along the network. The move to a real-time detection, response and recovery system would allow the Defense Department to take a proactive, rather than reactive, stance against network-borne attacks.

Since it was first detected in late January, the MyDoom Internet worm, also known as Novarg or Shimgapi, has become the most rampant worm to date. On Feb. 1, denial of service attacks launched by the worm paralyzed the Web site of SCO Group Inc., which has drawn the ire of the Linux community for filing lawsuits against Linux vendors. Microsoft Corp. was able to minimize similar attacks aimed at its site.

With 2003 revenues of $5.9 billion, SAIC ranked No. 3 on Washington Technology's 2003 Top 100 list, which measures federal contracting revenue. SAIC acquired Telcordia Technologies in 1997.