OmniTap: Universal Capture and Translation of ICS Communication

TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

OmniTap: Universal Capture and Translation of ICS Communication

OmniTap provides universal capture and translation of both modern and legacy industrial control systems communication, enabling cybersecurity sensors to be deployed within any ICS environment.

Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), is offering the opportunity to enter into a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize OmniTap. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses and ultimately an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview: Industrial Control System (ICS) network traffic is difficult to evaluate for presence of malicious activity because the space is fragmented by at least 40 incompatible communication schemes and protocols. Cybersecurity tools designed for information technology networks are unable to comprehend the many variants of ethernet and serial communication found in ICS. This makes it difficult and costly to develop cybersecurity tools for ICS environments. INL’s OmniTap technology aims to eliminate the communication incompatibilities that stymie cybersecurity efforts in the ICS space.

Description: OmniTap is a universal tool or translator that can capture traffic from any ICS network using copper media at speeds up to 1 Gbps. Normally, each communication protocol requires a specific piece of hardware to receive and decode data. OmniTap’s specialized hardware circuitry and novel software algorithms enable compatibility with modern and legacy ICS networks alike. A tool that can translate existing proprietary ICS communication, OmniTap will enable current IT cybersecurity tools to be used on ICS networks today, while encouraging investment in more powerful tools for the future as well.

Benefits:

• Simple solution that enables analysts to observe and stop attacks.


• Automatically configures to capture traffic.


• Allows existing cybersecurity tools to work with any ICS network.


• Provides a foundation for further development and research for ICS cybersecurity.

Applications:

• Cybersecurity for any existing or new Industrial Control System.

Development Status: TRL 4. Proof-of-concept prototype is undergoing testing and validation.

IP Status: Provisional Patent Filing No. 63/264,187, “Observing Signals in a Network and/or Identifying Signaling Protocols and Related Devices, Systems, and Methods,” BEA Docket No. BA-1323.

Additional Information

INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.