“With children and grandchildren now spanning from Alaska to England, the timing just felt right for me and my wife Kathy,” said McKinney. “I’ve had the honor of helping AIS grow from a small local business with three employees to an industry leader with a national presence. It has been a long, rewarding journey working my way up to the leadership team; from late night proposal writing to building programs and office pranks and parties, I will remember these days forever.”

AIS culture has provided employees the opportunity to take the uncertainty of change and turn it into greatness. Because of this culture, McKinney was able to grow tremendously both personally and professionally and watched as many others did the same.

“My hope is that employees at all levels embrace our culture and seize the opportunities before them. Looking back on my time at AIS and 32 years supporting the U.S. Department of Defense in general, it’s clear that hard work, saying yes to opportunities and trusting your team all contribute to a successful career and life.”

Written from the perspective of AIS Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Rian Quinn

I want to ensure we’re taking a well-rounded approach to advancing our Research Program. The goals we’ve set in place all pertain to areas we believe AIS could improve upon and thus should be our focus under this effort. There are many things AIS does extremely well, but we are eager to improve and expand on areas within our Research Program.

GOAL: Increase Funded Research

A major aspect of growing our program will involve increased research contracts with the U.S. government with respect to basic research, applied research and advanced technology development, DARPA, IARPA and other federal sponsors. We’ve established a plan to increase our direct revenue of in-house cyber research with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and have identified points of contacts within AFRL we believe we should be partnering with. Over the next several months, we will be working to better understand their areas of research and how AIS can best help them achieve their mission.

GOAL: Expand our Internal Research and Development (IRaD) and Open Source Programs

We’ve seen a tremendous increase in participation regarding our IRaD Program. We’ve largely completed all tasks necessary to organize and structure the program so that there is transparency, strategy, alignment with our customers and a clear return on investment behind each submission. Now, our focus will be building more strategic plans for IRaDs and increasing our program budget based on direct revenue to support these newly developed strategies. Currently, we have developed strategies for virtualization, artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum, compliance and reverse engineering. Moving forward into next year, we plan to develop additional strategies for both our AST and SAE Teams.

With respect to open source, over the last several months, we’ve archived open source projects no longer active, started new ones and created a more organized program. Our goal is to ensure that we’re advertising all active open source projects in multiple places to support recruitment, community engagement and potential partnerships. We’ve added very specific metrics to track the success of our projects with one of our goals to increase the total number of stars on Github, a measurement that will tell us how the tech community is engaging with our projects.

GOAL: Grow Our Patent, Paper and Presentation Submissions

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we have seen a sharp improvement this past year with respect to participation in our patent program. Working with HR, we have improved the bonus reward for patents both filed and awarded, and we have worked closely with a number of groups to further simplify the process, better account for and track costs as well as improve the overall quality of each patent we pursue. Over the next couple of months, we will also be developing official procedures for patents, publications and presentations to further simplify the process and improve transparency.

2020 Patents Awarded:

On-GPU Compositioning of Graphical Data From Multiple Domains 
Inventors: Jonathan Farrell, Rodney Forbes, Maurice Gale, Brendan Kerrigan, Rian Quinn, Sandy Stutsman
On-GPU Compositioning of Graphical Data From Multiple Domains is a technique for combining application windows from different VMs onto a single graphics card, and doing that combination on the graphics card itself. Previously, the combination occurred on the CPU itself before being transmitted to the graphics card, incurring a significant performance penalty.

Entity Resolution-Based Malicious File Detection
Inventors: Craig Miles and Daniel Scofield
Entity Resolution-Based Malicious File Detection uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to automatically model normal behavior of document viewers to quickly identify suspect documents before they compromise a network. TAFFI is a user-friendly end-point defense solution that the Department of Defense and other transition partners can use to protect their systems against malware-laden documents.

Behavioral Biometric Feature Extraction and Verification (Keystroke)
Inventors: Jacob Baldwin, Ryan Burnham, Robert Dora, Andrew Meyer, Robert Wright
Behavioral Biometric Feature Extraction and Verification is a robust framework for keystroke user verification. Originating from Deep Vectors work, this framework automatically extracts features from datasets that differentiate between individuals through keystroke patterns.

Behavioral Biometric Feature Extraction and Verification (Gait)
Inventors: Jacob Baldwin, Ryan Burnham, Robert Dora, Andrew Meyer, Robert Wright
Behavioral Biometric Feature Extraction and Verification is a robust framework for user verification through gait using smartphones. Originating from Deep Vectors work, this framework automatically extracts features from datasets that differentiate between individuals through gait.

2020 Patents Filed

Code Protection
Inventor: Adam Meily
Code Protection protects and secures sensitive or proprietary interpreted plaintext source code from reverse engineering and tampering. The patent orig-inated from the Raziel IRaD effort, which developed a Python software development kit for performing source code protections and application licensing to Python 3.X projects.

Providing Trusted Virtual Secure Cryptoprocessors For Guests
Inventors: Richard Turner and Joel Upham
Providing Trusted Virtual Secure Cryptoprocessors For Guests provides a virtual secure cryptoproces-sor for a guest virtual machine (VM) whereby the VM state and the cryptoprocessor state is encrypted in a virtual hard disk, controlled and sealed by the Trusted Computing Base (TCB) of the system. A cryptoprocessor can be a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) or similar device, providing enriched security services to the guest VM.

Equivalence Threshold Determination
Inventors: Craig Miles and Daniel Scofield
Extending on the Tiered Approach for File Inspection (TAFFI) patent to add greater automation and accu-racy, Equivalence Threshold Determination is a method for automatically generating classifiers that can accurately determine whether a digital document is malicious or benign based on the observed interactions they induce between the associated document viewer (e.g., PDF -> Adobe Reader) and the underlying operating system.

Our other patents can be found here >>

This $9 million contract will enable the Systems Analysis and Exploitation (SAE) Team, along with teaming partners Cummins Incorporated, Colorado State University and GRIMM, to develop challenge problems and evaluate performer’s solutions to problems related to heavy-duty engine systems.

This contract is in support of the DARPA/I2O Assured Micropatching (AMP) program, which aims to develop solutions capable of rapidly producing and deploying embedded system security patches. AIS will seed vulnerabilities throughout embedded systems, guide other performers on the challenge of addressing them and verify successful patching. The goal of the other AMP program performers is to identify those vulnerabilities and patch them without replacing all of the software on the device.

Projected challenge problems and testbed development will focus on devices commonly used to support heavy-duty engine systems used in the trucking industry, marine, power generation and military ground vehicle systems. This is a focus area AIS is not only very interested in, but one in which we have the experience necessary to develop the required challenge problems. The devices we will be working with support automotive and heavy trucking. We’ll take a computer that can be inserted into a truck and drop a vulnerability into it. Then, we will verify that the solutions provided by the other performers address the vulnerability and do not impact the normal operation of the system.

While this initiative is focused on the target space of automotive and heavy trucks, the same engine controllers are also in use in military systems, expanding the application of our efforts to the government.

This is a direct result of AIS putting in the effort, learning the customer and the technology space, and building relationships. We cannot wait to get our hands dirty and work on the AMP program and start playing with trucks.

*The views, opinions, and/or findings expressed are those of the author(s) and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited.

Throughout 2020, the Tech Council has continued to deliver on its purpose statement through the facilitation of communications amongst teams, contributions to research integrity and quality and sharing of lessons learned on the COVID-driven changes in workforce structure. These contributions are in the spirit of delivering excellence to our customers and supporting our teams that deliver that excellence daily. Our focus has been on three main points:

Cross-Team Communication Flows

Our regular meetings have shifted focus in 2020, with major topics including DevOps and development automation, technical brainstorming and continuous alignment of AIS’s unique business requirements with the compliance initiative. We’ve also been sharing lessons learned through COVID-19 and how we can successfully on-ramp and engage an almost entirely remote staff while staying highly responsive to our customers. Information sharing across our company is invaluable. Technical leaders from the Adaptive Systems Technology  and the Cross Domain Virtualization Solutions Teams collaborated on a lessons learned exchange with regards to effectively shaping our software development processes to our customer’s needs. As a result, the processes are continually evolving to be efficient, effective and agile.

Research Integrity and Product Quality

Internal research and development (IRaD) projects set direction for long-term initiatives and strategy areas, so making sound decisions is critical. Our feedback helps shape concepts and ideas that create our future programs and provide value to customers and stakeholders. In collaboration and close alignment with the AIS Chief Technology Officer, the Tech Council is actively involved in the IRaD proposal review process and a subset of members have contributed to strategy for projects in 2021 and beyond.

Facilitating New Research Opportunities

An initial down-select of government Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topics by the Tech Council and Business Development Department provides potential proposal teams a more focused selection of topics with clear alignment to AIS capabilities and future strategies. In 2020, we identified Tech Council representatives to sup-port the effort and had two rounds of filtering, reviewing more than 100 SBIR topics to allow potential AIS proposal authors to quickly review highly applicable topics before turning their attention to the broader list.

Looking Ahead

In 2021, the Tech Council is looking forward to staying true to its purpose statement through direct daily engagement with teams while also further engaging business development and culture initiatives.

About the AIS Tech Council

The purpose of the Tech Council is to provide advisement and support on issues and initiatives with regards to technical information flows, research integrity, product quality, enhancing culture, enabling vision and fostering an enjoyable work environment.

On January 1, 2020, Dan Kalil was named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at GreyCastle Security. Prior to becoming CEO, Kalil served as the company’s Board Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer since 2016, when AIS acquired majority interest in the business. As one of the co-founders of AIS, Kalil also continues to serve as our Vice President of Commercial Operations and Corporate Communications. With more than 20 years in the industry, Kalil is leveraging his business and cybersecurity expertise to lead GreyCastle Security and to further develop synergies with AIS.

“GreyCastle Security is comprised of talented and devoted people that are truly committed to our customers’ success,” said Kalil. “When a customer chooses GreyCastle, we view it as an opportunity to earn a long-term relationship through continuous superior performance and value, which ultimately results in each customer achieving desired outcomes, now and into the future. We have built a scalable business model around this commitment and through a combination of cybersecurity expertise, exceptional customer service standards, new offerings and strategic partnerships, we are truly excited for the opportunity to deliver success to each and every customer.”

In addition to a new CEO, two new leadership team members were welcomed at GreyCastle Security in 2020. Dan Maynard was named Chief Operating Officerand Jamie Aiello was named Chief Commercial Officer.

Click here to learn more about GreyCastle Security.

• 6,098 total participants
• 8 full-time employees hired
• 8 interns hired

Bradley Gannon took the challenge in February 2020 and received a high score. Our recruitment team then reached out to Gannon to see if he’d be interested in a career at AIS. Today, he is an Assistant Software Engineer on our team.

“I was searching for software engineering positions in the Arlington, Virginia area, and the AIS site was one of the first results,” said Gannon. “Many others came up as well, but AIS’s site was better designed and the only one that offered an interactive challenge. That was interesting and got me to take a second look. Once I got to the Can You Hack It?® site itself and started solving a few of the challenges, I was hooked. I’m glad I stumbled upon the site because now I get to build interesting technology every day while working at AIS.”

Do you think you have what it takes? Take one of our challenges now >>

With the pandemic still ever-present, AIS has created a Workplace Safety Committee (WSC). The WSC been working diligently to stay informed on local, state and country-wide guidelines and restrictions. Using this information, they are continuously developing policies and guidelines to keep employees and their families as healthy as possible.

Additional responsibilities of the WSC include:

• Collecting health assessment forms filled out by staff every time they come into an AIS office
• Ensuring the offices are clean and sanitized regularly
• Developing and hanging signage around the offices to keep employees informed of safety protocols
• Working with managers and office landlords when a possible COVID-19 case is present
• Communicating with staff regularly so they are kept up to date regarding the latest guidelines and changes.

Additional measures taken by AIS in response to COVID-19 can be found here >>

From wearing slippers in the hallways to hanging a pirate flag up at the office, the beginnings of our company are anything but typical. The AIS culture is rooted in innovation, collaboration, resilience and just being different. From our start in 2001, we’ve grown into a 350-employee company with offices and customer locations across the nation. With this growth, the need to nurture and evolve the culture that has made us who we are is essential.

We will focus on the following cornerstones:

Adapting with Agility – Change Management and Communication

Effectively managing and communicating change will enable our company to achieve our goals and thrive in today’s dynamic landscape. With new compliance requirements, growing teams and organizational shifts, it’s not only essential for employees to be aware of change, but to actively take part in the process.

Fostering Connection – Employee Experience

The importance of employee engagement can’t be denied. Engaged employees are more productive, efficient and most importantly, happy and committed to our customers’ success. When employees are engaged, everything they do is infused with purpose, energy and enthusiasm. No matter where employees are, from New York to Portland, working from home or at the office, we want to ensure that they feel like a part of the AIS family.

Creating a Culture of Trust – Diversity and Inclusion

Fostering an inclusive culture requires more than policies or headcounts. We respect the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all our team members and as a result, hope to instill a deep trust and commitment within them. Our success is the totality of our employees who come from varying backgrounds and walks of life. It’s because of this diversity that our team produces unimaginable achievements through their individual talents and creativity.

Encouraging Growth and Success – Development and Training

While we encourage employees to have an entrepreneurial spirit and explore their passions, we also want to ensure they have the resources and support needed to create their own paths to success. Effective training and development programs not only improve performance, but allow employees to hone their skills, discover new interests and realize meaningful growth opportunities.