The aim is solutions that can help provide early threat detection, protection, and multi-layer autonomic self-healing capabilities to solve customers’ hard problems and meet future challenges. So military contractor Lockheed Martin is forming a new cyber security technology alliance with leading technology providers.

It combines best practices, hardware, software, and tools within a unique new research, development and collaboration center called the NexGen Cyber Innovation and Technology Center. The alliance companies include: APC by Schneider Electric, CA, Cisco, Dell, EMC Corporation and its RSA security division, HP, Intel, Juniper Networks, McAfee, Microsoft, NetApp, Symantec and VMware.

Speaking on behalf of the Cyber Security Alliance members at the NexGen Dedication Ceremony was Art Coviello, executive vice president, EMC and president, RSA. "By bringing the combined strengths of market leading technology companies to the NexGen Cyber Innovation and Technology Center, we can accelerate development of solutions without boundaries or limitations. Our adversaries operate in sophisticated criminal ecosystems that enable and enhance their attacks. To defend against such organized and purposeful opponents we need to build effective security ecosystems based on collaboration, knowledge sharing and industry best practices."

The technology partners will be engaged in customer-focused test scenarios, experiments, and end-to-end systems integration pilots. NexGen is also the central site for Lockheed Martin’s new global cyber innovation range that enables safe attack and defense testing simulating customer environments, enhancing the speed, security, and innovation of real world solutions development.

"We face significant known and unknown threats to our critical infrastructure," said Charles Croom, vice president, Cyber Security Solutions, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services. "We not only need solid defenses but also the right technologies to predict and prevent future threats. Innovation and collaboration are key to ensuring mission resilience and securing cyberspace."

The center will foster an agile environment where alliance companies and customers can rapidly and virtually collaborate and innovate new capabilities building on the foundation of point solutions and Lockheed Martin proprietary solutions for seamless end-to-end integration and defense. The newly constructed center will serve as a global security asset for innovation.