Lockheed Martin is awarded cyber-defence contract worth millions

US arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin has announced that it will be cooperating with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to combat internet crime. If all options of the agreement are exercised, the value of the contract is $454 million (£280 million).

The company said that it has been selected to deliver a full range of technical, functional and managerial support to the DC3. The contract involves the provision of digital forensics, research and development, as well as tests and their evaluation. Lockheed Martin explained that, because of its size and importance, the US Department of Defense is a target for cyber-criminals – from terrorists to spies to identity thieves. "Our industry team provides solutions to address a cyber threat environment that is highly dynamic and growing in volume and complexity," said the DC3 program director for Lockheed Martin, Dr. Rohan Amin. The company added that it has been the US government's leading IT provider for years.

Based in the US state of Maryland, the arms manufacturer was itself the victim of a hacker attack last year. The company admitted that hackers had carried out a significant and tenacious attack on its own network. However, Lockheed Martin explained that it took aggressive actions to protect all systems and data, and that its system remained secure.

(fab)