ANDRO awarded federal contracts for enhancing wireless security

ROME, N.Y. — ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC of Rome will use two new federal contracts — worth $150,000 each in their first phase — for work on new methods for enhancing wireless security.

The awards were based on research in wireless communications led by ANDRO’s Marconi-Rosenblatt artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) innovation lab, the firm said in a news release.

Established in 1994, ANDRO provides research, engineering, and technical services to defense and commercial industries. It’s currently headquartered in about a 20,000-square-foot space in the Beeches Business Park in Rome and had additional offices in Syracuse and Dayton, Ohio.

About the contracts

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) science and technology (S&T) directorate awarded a phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to ANDRO called Project Wi5G.

The project seeks to sustain “authenticated, secure” spectrum band sharing for Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G cellular systems co-located and operating simultaneously within restricted federal networks. Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G are the latest wireless-equipment standards for local broadband Internet and cellular access.

“The primary idea of authenticated spectrum sharing is to permit access to the Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G radio frequency (RF) bands only to authorized users to protect privacy within a restricted federal network,” Jithin Jagannath, director of the AI/ML, said.

The phase I project was awarded $150,000 under the DHS SBIR program to conduct proof-of-concept research over a five-month period to address specific homeland-security technology needs, with second-phase funding for prototype development anticipated to be up to $750,000, ANDRO said.

“Investing in private sector innovation is a key factor in helping DHS keep pace with emerging threats and security challenges facing our nation,” Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, DHS senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary for science and technology, said. “The DHS SBIR Program provides the opportunity for S&T to partner with small businesses in advancing unique and innovative capabilities that address complex DHS technology needs.”

A second SBIR phase I award from the U.S. Department of Defense valued at $150,000 called DeepeRFind, seeks to develop new methods of enhancing the sensitivity of RF (radio frequency) signal fingerprinting techniques using deep learning — a machine-learning related approach. The fingerprinting technique enhances wireless security by enabling the accurate detection and classification of wireless signals.

“DeepeRFind has a wide range of applications in both tactical and commercial environments, considering the proliferation of wireless Internet of Things (IoT) devices,” Andrew Drozd, president of ANDRO, said.

The second phase funding for prototype development is anticipated to about $1 million.

“I am proud of ANDRO’s Marconi-Rosenblatt Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Innovation Lab team for their accomplishments on these two fronts,” Drozd added.

He further mentioned that these opportunities will “considerably add” to the company’s portfolio of technologies and products and contribute to its plans for growth and near-term hiring needs, per the firm’s release.