Skip to main content

DARPA awards Carnegie Mellon professor $6 million to prevent unmanned vehicle hacks

DARPA awards Carnegie Mellon professor $6 million to prevent unmanned vehicle hacks

Share this story

Darpa Logo
Darpa Logo

Not only do military officials need to worry about the security of computers belonging to personnel, but unmanned vehicles are also a potential target for hackers. To that end, DARPA has awarded Franz Franchetti, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon, a 4.5-year $6 million grant to develop defenses capable of recognizing and warding off infiltration attempts. According to the university, the objective of Franchetti and a team of six other experts is to "help computers figure out that they are under attack and to help them survive and continue operating." Tackling cyber threats — which cost the military billions of dollars per year — is a tall task, but Franchetti's colleagues seem confident he can deliver. "We have the innovative talent and research expertise to begin developing some long-range solutions," said Ed Schlesinger, head of Carnegie Mellon's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.