Cyber-Crime Weapon Joins Arsenal

Software systems should become more resistant to and able to detect cyber attacks, thanks to a new tool package now available to computer laboratories. The system, called the Advanced Scanning Optical Microscope (ASOM), will help software engineers conduct forensic analyses of microelectronics – including integrated circuits that have been confiscated by law-enforcement officials. Using a very narrow laser beam, ASOM can conduct searches down to the nanometer and unveil secrets to their construction and function. The ASOM system would be particularly useful in scanning equipment manufactured outside the United States. The system was developed under Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration (DARPA) auspices, as part of its Integrity and Reliability of Integrated Circuits Program. It will be housed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Ind.