ORGANICALLY ASSURED AND SURVIVABLE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (OASIS) DEMONSTRATION AND VALIDATION (DEM/VAL) PROGRAM, SOL BAA 02-16, DUE: 03/28/03; POC: DR. JAYNARAYAN H. LALA, PROGRAM MANAGER, DARPA/ITO; FAX: (703) 522-7161

The principal objectives of this program are to develop an exemplar of a selected Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI), from applications down to communications infrastructure, that can operate through a wide class of known and future cyber attacks and to develop system architectures that gracefully degrade system functionality in the face of attacks. The subject system and network will reconfigure dynamically to optimize performance, functionality and survivability as threat conditions warrant.

Exemplar Mission-Critical System: The target exemplar military information system of the future is Joint Battlespace Infosphere. Operationally, JBI is a combat information management system. Technically, it is a platform of processes, protocols and common core functions. JBI promotes information interoperability between many individual information systems and acts as an intermediary between these systems. A JBI is a publish/subscribe process involving a set of clients interconnected via a network to a set of core services. The instantiation of a JBI in this program will be the core services and the functional components needed to execute a mission-critical scenario. The scenario starts with an objective that requires an air strike on an enemy target. The near-real time activities include planning an air combat mission based on a set of specified parameters and creating an air tasking order (ATO). The ATO is sent to the squadron for assignment to a ready element. The mission is then executed. At some time between launch but before the objective strike the weather parameters, in this case the winds at the target area, change to such a degree that the predicted collateral damage is unacceptable and a mission modification is necessary. In real-time the ATO is modified and transmitted to the executing element. Throughout the scenario coordination between the mobility command and the combat command is achieved within the JBI. During this scenario a Red Team conducts a prolonged, determined cyber attack that, if successful, will deny, disrupt, degrade or otherwise harm mission critical functionality of the JBI to the operators. The Dem/Val program will demonstrate the following survivability goals for the exemplar JBI:

1. Provide 100% of JBI critical functionality when under a determined red team attack.
2. Detect 95% of large-scale attacks within 10 minutes of attack initiation and 99% of attacks within 4 hours with less than 1% false alarm rate.
3. Display meaningful attack state alarms.
4. Prevent 95% of attacks from achieving attacker objectives for 12 hours.
5. Reduce low-level alerts by a factor of 1000.
6. Show survivability versus cost/performance trade-off

The cyber-survivability technologies necessary to achieve the OASIS Dem/Val objectives, as previously stated, are being developed under OASIS and FTN programs. Previous DARPA programs in Information Survivability and Information Assurance & Survivability have also produced relevant technologies. The purpose of the OASIS Dem/Val program is to leverage these investments, in combination with commercially available first-generation and second-generation security technologies, to create a pathfinder for the DoD. This program will be one of the major DARPA efforts aimed at accelerating the transition of DARPA-developed cyber defense technologies to DoD operational systems.

Two awards are expected to be made for the system design phase and a down-selection is expected to be made for the system development and demonstration phase. Program duration is 24 months. Awards for the system design phase, 12 months duration, are expected to be up to $5M each and award for the system development phase, 12 months in duration, is expected to be up to $9M.

While this solicitation covers both phases, contract award will be made based on the merits of the proposals for Phase 1. Phase 2 will be negotiated with the selected performer after a planned down-select that will be made at the end of Phase 1. Recently, DARPA sponsored a study that produced "Considerations in Developing Survivable Architectures for GIG Systems." This study is intended to be a point of departure for this solicitation. Phase 1 is a 12 month effort and will develop a design and a development plan for the target JBI. A Preliminary Design Review will be conducted late in the 2^nd quarter of FY03 and a Critical Design Review will be conducted late in the 4^th quarter of FY03. Phase 2 is a 12-month development and test effort. The Phase 2 selection will be based on a competitive evaluation of the design and development plans created in Phase 1. Each design will undergo independent assessment to validate performance predictions and assurance arguments. DARPA reserves the right to select none of the performers at the down-select point.

Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches and techniques that lead to or enable revolutionary advances in the state-of-the-art. Proposals are not limited to the specific strategies listed above, and alternative visions will be considered. However, proposals should be for research that substantially contributes towards the goals stated. Research should result in prototype hardware and/or software demonstrating integrated concepts and approaches. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvement to the existing state of practice or focuses on a specific system or solution. Integrated solution sets embodying significant technological advances are strongly encouraged over narrowly defined research endeavors. Proposals may involve other research groups or industrial cooperation and cost sharing. This BAA shall remain open and proposals received up to one year following this BAA’s release.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/Information Technology Office (DARPA/ITO) requires completion of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Cover Sheet Submission for each Proposal, by accessing the URL below:

After finalizing the BAA Cover Sheet Submission, the proposer must submit the BAA Confirmation Sheet that will automatically appear on the web page. Each proposer is responsible for printing the BAA Confirmation Sheet and submitting it attached to the

"original" and each designated number of copies. The Confirmation Sheet should be the first page of your Proposal. Failure to comply with these submission procedures may result in the submission not being evaluated.

NEW REQUIREMENTS/PROCEDURES: The Award Document for each proposal selected and funded will contain a mandatory requirement for submission of DARPA/ITO Quarterly Status Reports and an Annual Project Summary Report. These reports will be electronically submitted via the DARPA/ITO Technical – Financial Information Management System (T-FIMS), utilizing the government furnished Uniform Resource Locator (URL) on the World Wide Web (WWW).

Details in Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP).

Proposers must submit an original and 4 copies of the full proposal and 2 electronic copies (i.e., 2 separate disks) of the full proposal (in Microsoft Word ’97 for IBM-compatible, PDF, Postscript, or ASCII format on one 3.5-inch floppy disk or one 100 MB Iomega Zip disk). Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 02-16, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended) and Copy ___ of 2. The full proposal (original and designated number of hard and electronic copies) must be submitted in time to reach DARPA by 4:00 PM (ET) Friday, May 24, 2002, in order to be considered during the initial evaluation phase. However, BAA 02-16, ORGANICALLY ASSURED AND SURVIVABLE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (OASIS) DEMONSTRATION AND VALIDATION (DEM/VAL) PROGRAM will remain open until 4:00 PM (ET) Friday, March 28, 2003. Thus, proposals may be submitted at any time from issuance of this BAA through Friday, March 28, 2003. While the proposals submitted after Friday, May 24, 2002, deadline will be evaluated by the Government, proposers should keep in mind that the likelihood of funding such proposals is less than for those proposals submitted in connection with the initial evaluation and award schedule. Proposers must obtain the BAA 02-16 Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP), which provides further information on the areas of interest, submission, evaluation, funding processes, and full proposal formats. This pamphlet will be posted directly to FedBizOpps.gov and may also be obtained by fax, electronic mail, mail request to the administrative contact address given below, or at URL address http://www.darpa.mil/ito/Solicitations.html. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 02-16 PIP and all references, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for same will be disregarded.

The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received.

All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal that shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals. However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities.

Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished in a two-step process as follows. The first step will be a scientific review of each proposal. The second step will be an oral review. The first step criteria, listed in descending order of relative importance, are as follows:

1. Overall Systems Engineering Approach: The overall systems engineering methodology, from requirements definition to trade-off studies to integration and validation, must be clearly identifiable. Of specific concern is the offeror’s strategy for managing the risk inherent in integrating leading-edge, and potentially immature, technologies in creating a stable prototype.
2. Innovative Technical Solution to the Problem: Application of new technology or application of existing technology in a new way that is advantageous to the Program objectives. Identification of types of cyber survivability technologies offeror intends to use, and how the offeror intends to get developed and emerging technologies. The ability to meet the quantitative program goals defined earlier.
3. Offeror’s Capabilities and Related Experience: The qualifications, capabilities, and demonstrated achievements of the proposed principals and other key personnel for the primary and subcontractor organizations or consortia members must be clearly shown. Team experience with design and build of large-scale information systems and networks and thorough knowledge of and familiarity with emerging cyber survivability technologies are essential. Offeror’s understanding of the JBI operating environment is also important.
4. Potential Contribution and Relevance to the DARPA mission: The offeror must clearly address the trade-offs of performance, functionality and additional cost as a function of various levels of survivability.
5. Plans and Capability to Accomplish Technology Transition: Technology transition should be a major consideration in the design of experiments, particularly considering the potential for involving DoD transition organizations in the field assessment phase.
6. Cost Realism: The overall estimated cost to accomplish the effort should be clearly shown as well as the substantiation of the costs for the technical complexity described. Evaluation will consider the value to Government of the research and the extent to which the proposed management plan will effectively allocate resources to achieve the capabilities proposed.

All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal to this BAA, must be received at one of the administrative addresses below by 4:00 PM (ET) Friday, March 21, 2003; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for some of the correspondence regarding BAA 02-16. Proposals MUST NOT be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded.

The administrative addresses for this BAA are:

Fax: 703-522-7161 Addressed to: DARPA/ITO, BAA 02-16

Electronic Mail: baa02-16@darpa.mil

Electronic File Retrieval: http://www.darpa.mil/ito/Solicitations.html