Keysight Technologies Selected for U.S. Army's Cyber Quest ‘25
1. Introduction
On March 5, 2025, Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) announced a significant partnership with the United States Army, as the latter has chosen Keysight’s CyPerf network design and verification solution. This collaboration aims to validate the performance, security, and resilience of the Army's Unified Network Program during the upcoming Cyber Quest ‘25 (CQ25).
2. The Importance of Cyber Quest ‘25
Cyber Quest is organized by the U.S. Army Futures Command and serves as a critical platform for national security. The event unites the private sector, government, and academia to evaluate and benchmark emerging technologies designed to address pressing concerns in cybersecurity, electronic warfare, intelligence, and signal operations. As the landscape of warfare evolves, the U.S. Army is prioritizing Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), which integrates efforts across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace to secure operational advantages.
3. Unified Network Program: A Strategic Initiative
The Unified Network Program is a cornerstone of the Army’s strategy to achieve MDO by 2028. This program aims to create a seamless, resilient, and secure end-to-end network that supports operations in diverse environments—ranging from standard office settings to complex and contested scenarios. By ensuring that U.S. forces have access to critical data anytime and anywhere, the program is expected to enhance mission effectiveness and security.
4. Keysight’s CyPerf: Key Features
Keysight's CyPerf solution is designed to support the objectives of CQ25, providing numerous capabilities:
Assessing Zero Trust Architecture
CyPerf integrates zero trust verification principles, focusing on continuous authentication and authorization for network access without relying on implicit trust based on network location. This capability includes validating networks requiring Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM), essential for managing digital identities and resource access.
Simulating Real-World Scenarios
CyPerf is equipped to create realistic operational scenarios that evaluate network performance across various environments, from physical to cloud-based setups. By deploying lightweight agents that generate high-volume traffic, CyPerf can simulate actual networks and scale operations fluidly, ensuring resilience during chaos simulations.
Enhancing Network Security
Security is paramount, and CyPerf addresses this by detecting vulnerabilities and implementing measures to mitigate risks. The solution generates a mix of legitimate and malicious traffic across complex network architectures, allowing for an efficient replication of the U.S. Army's network deployments.
Validating Network Performance
A critical aspect of CyPerf is its ability to validate the performance of the Unified Network. The solution quantifies network efficacy, user experience, and security posture, identifying bottlenecks and assessing performance under high-load conditions or cyber-attacks.
5. Insights from Army Officials
Major James Harryman, Action Officer for CQ25, emphasized the significance of implementing zero trust principles at the tactical edge, highlighting the potential benefits of network agility, asset security, and interoperability. He expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with Keysight to demonstrate these crucial principles.
6. Keysight’s Commitment
Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager of Network Test & Security Solutions at Keysight, remarked on the honor of partnering with the U.S. Army for CQ25. He noted that Keysight's advanced capabilities would empower the Army to navigate the complexities of zero trust architectures and MDO, ensuring the network remains resilient and mission-ready.
7. Conclusion
Keysight Technologies' selection to validate the U.S. Army's Unified Network Program at Cyber Quest ‘25 reflects the growing importance of advanced network solutions in modern warfare. This collaboration not only highlights the strategic partnership between the Army and the private sector but also underscores the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures in an ever-evolving digital landscape. As the event approaches, the outcomes of this collaboration could set new standards for military communications and operations.