Innovation program will reward the best cybersecurity technology solutions from science entrepreneurs

Reports indicate that in 2022 Chile received 14 billion attempted cyberattacks. An initiative developed by Know Hub Chile and the global aerospace and security company Lockheed Martin is seeking solutions in this area, which will receive up to USD 50,000 to implement their technology.

On Monday, May 29, the Chilean Army (Ejército de Chile) instructed the entire institution to protect itself from an attack. An invisible threat, but one that can be devastating: a cyberattack. The instruction across this branch of defense was clear: do not turn on computers, and do not connect any internal storage device, not even authorized USB drives. In addition, it was decided to physically unplug the Ethernet network cable from all computers and printers connected to the institutional intranet.

So-called cyberattacks are a latent and very costly danger. According to data from Israel’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), they account for USD 6 billion in losses every day.

Cyberattacks are no longer fiction. Today, artificial intelligence with tools such as ChatGPT, the metaverse and 6G, among the many virtual possibilities rapidly emerging every day, not only expand society’s opportunities for development but also entail serious risks. These dangers can affect people’s rights, public safety, critical infrastructure, digital government and a country’s external security.

Preventing them requires both proactive and reactive behavior. Science- and technology-based companies, or EBCTs, can deliver solutions by developing technologies that detect risks and vulnerabilities in information security in time.

To meet this need, Know Hub Ignition, a program that helps EBCTs mature, developed by Know Hub Chile in collaboration with the University of California, Riverside, supported by ANID, sponsored by Corfo and backed in cybersecurity by Lockheed Martin, offers up to USD 50,000 to a science- and technology-based entrepreneurial team developing technologies that address strategic technology solutions and/or preventive operational models for cybersecurity vulnerabilities and mitigations.

Cybersecurity technology solutions from science entrepreneurs

Technological modernization has involved the use of high-level computing tools such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things. “These computing elements have not been free of failures and attacks, along with the theft of the large amount of information they hold. That is why cybersecurity gaps have been increasing,” says Óscar Astudillo, technology transfer coordinator at Know Hub Chile.

According to Fortinet, a global cybersecurity leader, in 2022 Chile received 14 billion attempted cyberattacks, a 50% increase over 2021, based on data from FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s threat intelligence and analysis lab.

For this reason, Astudillo adds, seeking new technologies originating from EBCTs is a highly relevant niche to fill, “and the Ignition program undoubtedly has the tools to accelerate and mature this type of technology, based on the methodology that underpins the program, I-Corps.”

This program, which is accepting applications until June 11, has two categories: the first is open to all types of EBCTs, and the second focuses on: cybersecurity, circular economy in agribusiness and climate change. Entrepreneurs from all over Latin America, researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students with research results that have high intellectual property content and potential for creating technology businesses can take part.

In the case of cybersecurity, a category sponsored by the global aerospace and security company Lockheed Martin, the program is looking for strategic technology solutions and/or preventive operational work models that make it possible to cover vulnerabilities and carry out mitigations to address them. Solutions should also be related to protection, research, threat analysis or threat sharing, or generate cybersecurity innovations for small, medium and large companies.

Patricia Tobar, senior manager of Business Development for Latin America at Lockheed Martin, notes that when it comes to cybersecurity, Lockheed Martin leads in comprehensive cyber systems for its global defense and security customers. “Governments and military operations around the world trust us to keep their platforms secure. That is why the cybersecurity focus within the Ignition program was a great fit for our team,” she says.

Thanks to this partnership in the Ignition program, Lockheed Martin is building a solid foundation for collaboration with the Chilean corporation. “Advancing education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a critical focus for our company. We know how important it is to inspire and educate young people in these areas. Our future success and our technological edge depend on a steady supply of highly skilled technical talent,” Tobar concludes.