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February 5, 2004 Arxan receives $1.2 Million in 21st Century FundsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund recently approved a $1.2 million grant for Arxan Technologies to build a system to analyze and validate software protection. "This grant validates the strength of the Arxan team, the power of our unique anti-tamper approach, and the importance of our work to the government and national security," said Rich Earley, CEO of Arxan Technologies, a company located in the Purdue Research Park. Currently, the state of the practice for the assessment of software protection is largely intuitive and informal, and commercial assessments are frequently unconvincing or prove to be unreliable. Arxan's technology, EnforcIT™, protects software applications against tampering by forming a complex web of small security units or guards. The guards watch code and each other, forming complex networks that are different in every instance of the program, and very difficult to defeat. "The assessment of software vulnerability to various threats and the effectiveness of software protection mechanisms is a pressing issue," Earley said. "It is particularly compelling for defense contractors seeking to protect mission-critical software against tampering and reverse engineering, government agencies responsible for critical infrastructure protection and national security, and software publishers interested in preventing unauthorized modification and piracy." The Indiana 21st Century Fund board selected 21 proposals out of 117 submitted. The list approved by the board must receive final approval from the State Budget Committee. "This work has significant promise for the government market, and Arxan’s demonstrated success in this field makes it well-suited to lead the development and commercialization of these software protection assessment tools," said Tony Armstrong, CEO of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. Through the collaborative efforts of Purdue University and Ball State University, Arxan will leverage its expertise and research to develop a unique set of tools and techniques to efficiently and economically assess and quantify software protection. The project will create tools for software developers to use as a means to incorporate effective protection techniques into their applications, and an evaluation framework that provides quantitative measures of threats and code vulnerabilities. About Arxan Technologies Arxan was founded in 2001 using advanced technology developed at Purdue's CERIAS (Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security), a top academic research institute and an NSA Center of Excellence in Information Assurance. Arxan offers anti-tamper software protection mechanisms that effectively safeguard software operating in untrusted environments, generating software that is secure in deployment. Arxan sells its products through direct and indirect channels. Arxan Defense Systems is located in Reston, Va.; Arxan Technologies has offices in Chicago, Ill. and San Francisco, Calif.; and Arxan Labs is located in West Lafayette, Ind. About The Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund The Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, created by the Indiana General Assembly in 1999, is aimed at assisting Indiana ventures that are focused on the commercialization of advanced technologies. In order to be eligible for 21st Century Fund grants, ventures must include both a Hoosier company and an in-state university. Since its inception (including this round), the fund has now awarded more than $110 million in grants to 85 projects. About Purdue Research Park Purdue Research Park encompasses 591 acres in West Lafayette and is home to the largest university-affiliated, state-of-the-art business incubator facility in the nation. Within the park, 104 businesses, of which 58 are high-tech, employ more than 2,200 people. Sources: Eric Davis, vice president, Arxan Technologies, (765) 412-6661 (mobile); (765) 775-1004; edavis@arxan.com Robin Frank, director of public relations, Arxan Technologies, (415) 445-1350, x57; rfrank@arxan.com Jeanine Phipps, media relations, Purdue Research Park, (765) 494-0748; jsphipps@purdueresearchfoundation.org Related News Stories:</P> 6/25/02 Purdue University News Service, Purdue marshals new approach to protect software 8/12/03 Purdue Research Park information security startup secures $8.3 million The full list of fifth round 21st Century Research and Technology Fund award recipients is available online. |
