Real-time Zero Trust Data and Access Control for Combat Systems

The Department of the Navy is seeking proposals under the SBIR program to develop a real-time Zero Trust data and access control system to secure critical combat system data. The selected contractor will design, prototype, and test an adaptive security system that utilizes advanced authentication, micro-segmentation, and artificial intelligence/machine learning to verify access requests in near real time. To meet Navy requirements, the solution must reduce average authentication times to under five seconds, decrease the risk of unauthorized data access by at least 90%, and remain resilient in degraded environments while complying with NIST standards. Because Phase II work is expected to be classified, prospective contractors must be U.S. owned and operated with the ability to acquire and maintain a Secret-level facility and personnel security clearances. The solicitation is scheduled to open on June 24, 2026, with applications due by July 22, 2026.