Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA)
ID: HR0011SB20254-12Type: Phase II
Overview

Topic

Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA)

Agency

Agency: DODBranch: DARPA

Program

Type: SBIRPhase: Phase II

Topic Link

https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/

Additional Information

https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Defense, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is seeking innovative proposals for the Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) initiative, aimed at enhancing the security of Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) against Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The initiative focuses on developing models, frameworks, and evaluation methods to assess and improve the security of SMAs, particularly emphasizing the application code rather than solely the cryptographic protocols. Given the widespread use of SMAs for secure communications, this project is critical for understanding and mitigating security risks associated with these applications. Proposals for this Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation are due by January 28, 2026, with further details available at the official DARPA SBIR website.

    Files
    Title
    Posted
    1762382888981.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) initiative seeks to fortify secure messaging applications (SMAs) against advanced persistent threats. Despite strong cryptographic protocols, SMAs possess significant software vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation aims to develop novel approaches to model SMA attack surfaces, identify security boundaries, and create frameworks for evaluating protective measures. Proposals must demonstrate prior feasibility through technical reports, prototypes, and a strong understanding of computer science and vulnerability research. Phase II will focus on designing and developing prototype models and frameworks to defend SMAs, culminating in a demonstration of their efficacy. The program seeks actionable recommendations and tools to enhance SMA security for both developers and users, ultimately supporting national efforts in securing communications for military and commercial applications in Phase III.
    1762387305443.pdf
    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The HR0011SB20254-12 program,
    1762560123525.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) project seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, which, despite secure cryptographic protocols, have software flaws exploited by attackers. The objective is to model SMA security risks, recommend defensive measures, and develop frameworks to assess and ensure the efficacy of these protections. Key technical challenges include characterizing SMA attack surfaces, developing frameworks for security boundaries, and creating tools to evaluate security features. This is a Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation, requiring proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work, technical reports, and expertise in computer science and vulnerability research. Phase II focuses on designing and developing prototype models and evaluation methods, culminating in a demonstration of compelling use cases. Phase III aims for the transition and commercialization of the prototype into viable military and private sector products, funded by non-SBIR sources, to enhance communication security and privacy.
    1762646519792.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) project seeks novel methods to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, which, despite secure cryptographic protocols, have software flaws exploited by attackers. The objective is to model SMA security risks, recommend defensive measures, and develop frameworks to assess and ensure the efficacy of these protections. Key challenges include characterizing SMA attack surfaces, identifying security boundaries, and evaluating security features. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work, technical reports, and prototypes. Phase II focuses on designing and developing prototype models and frameworks, culminating in a demonstration of improved SMA security against real-world attacks. Phase III emphasizes transitioning the developed vulnerability framework into commercial and military applications to secure communications and mitigate risks.
    1762819319082.pdf
    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The HR0011SB20254-12 solicitation,
    1762905705183.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) project seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, despite their cryptographic protocols, by focusing on the security risks of the applications' code, which presents a significant attack surface. The objective is to model SMA attack surfaces, identify security boundaries, and develop frameworks and tools to assess and ensure the efficacy of defensive measures. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work, with Phase II focusing on designing and developing prototype models and evaluation methods. The ultimate goal is to provide actionable recommendations for SMA developers and enable informed risk analysis for users, supporting both commercial and military applications in Phase III.
    1762992130180.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) project seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the critical vulnerability of SMAs, which, despite secure cryptographic protocols, possess significant software-level attack surfaces. The objective is to model SMA security risks, identify attack surfaces, and recommend defensive measures to protect these platforms. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate prior feasibility in characterizing SMA attack surfaces, developing security frameworks, and evaluating security features. Phase II focuses on designing prototype models and evaluation methods, culminating in a demonstration of compelling use cases. Phase III aims for the commercialization and transition of these prototypes into viable products for both military and private sector markets, ultimately enhancing communication security and privacy.
    1763078525610.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) initiative seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, despite their cryptographic protocols, by focusing on the security risks within the application code itself—an enormous and remotely reachable attack surface. The objective is to develop models, frameworks, and evaluation methods to identify and mitigate security weaknesses in SMAs, ultimately providing actionable recommendations for developers and users. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work, showcasing expertise in computer science, vulnerability research, and software engineering. Phase II will involve designing and developing prototype models and frameworks, culminating in a demonstration of their effectiveness against real-world SMA attacks.
    1763164918041.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) initiative seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, despite their cryptographic protocols, by focusing on the security risks within the application code itself. The objective is to model SMA attack surfaces, identify security boundaries, and develop frameworks and tools to assess and ensure the efficacy of defensive measures. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate prior feasibility work in computer science, vulnerability research, and software engineering. Phase II will involve designing prototype models and frameworks, culminating in a demonstration of improved SMA security against real-world attacks. Phase III emphasizes the transition and commercialization of these tools for both military and private sector use, ultimately enhancing communication security and privacy.
    1763337712759.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) project seeks novel methods to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project addresses the vulnerability of SMAs, which, despite secure cryptographic protocols, have software flaws exploited by attackers. The objective is to model SMA security risks, recommend defensive measures, and develop frameworks to assess their efficacy. This Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation requires proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work, proving scientific and technical merit for both Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian use. Phase II focuses on designing and developing prototype models and evaluation methods to defend SMAs, culminating in a demonstration of compelling use cases. Phase III emphasizes transitioning and commercializing these solutions, securing external funding to develop the prototype into a viable product for military and private sector markets, ultimately enhancing communication security and privacy.
    1763510524582.pdf
    The xTechOverwatch Open Topic seeks innovative autonomous unmanned systems (UAVs, UGVs, and sensor networks) capable of dynamic overwatch, terrain adaptation, and collaborative autonomy. This initiative, part of the xTechOverwatch Prize Competition, aims to identify small businesses with expertise in areas like AI-driven robotics, sensor fusion, and secure communications. Selected participants will develop modular solutions for integration into comprehensive autonomous systems, potentially collaborating with Army research laboratories. The objective is to enhance situational awareness and mission effectiveness through advanced AI, robotics, secure networking, and real-time data processing, with prototypes to be tested with a designated Army formation.
    1763769708840.pdf
    The DARPA HR0011SB20254-12 initiative,
    1764968594282.pdf
    The DARPA HR0011SB20254-12 program, "Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA)," seeks innovative solutions to enhance the security of Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) against Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The program aims to address the vulnerabilities in SMA software, which are often overlooked compared to their cryptographic protocols. It focuses on characterizing and modeling SMA attack surfaces, developing frameworks for identifying security boundaries and mitigations, and creating tools to evaluate SMA security features. This is a Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation, requiring proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work and expertise in computer science, vulnerability research, and software engineering. Phase II involves designing and developing prototype models and frameworks to defend SMAs, culminating in a demonstration of their efficacy. Phase III focuses on commercialization and transition, securing non-SBIR funding to develop these prototypes into viable products for both military and private sector markets, ultimately enhancing secure communications.
    1766361764795.pdf
    DARPA's Assessing Security of Encrypted Messaging Applications (ASEMA) initiative seeks novel approaches to defend Secure Messaging Applications (SMAs) from Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. The project aims to model SMA security risks and recommend defensive measures, focusing on the application code rather than just cryptographic protocols. Key objectives include characterizing SMA attack surfaces, developing frameworks for security boundaries, and creating tools to evaluate security features. This is a Direct to Phase II (DP2) solicitation, requiring proposers to demonstrate feasibility through existing work and expertise in computer science, vulnerability research, and software engineering. Phase II involves designing and developing prototype models and frameworks, culminating in demonstrations of improved SMA security. Phase III emphasizes commercialization and transition, supporting both military and commercial applications to secure communications.
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