Patrick T. Biltgen, Ph.D., Technical Director for Analytics, Vencore, Inc., talked with GISCafe Voice about their offerings. Vencore is a provider of information solutions, engineering and analytics for the U.S. Government with more than 40 years of experience working in the defense, civilian and intelligence communities. This summer Vencore, a company that spun off from Lockheed Martin about four years ago, was awarded a prime contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to deliver research in the area of enhanced cyber defense by developing a fully air-gapped detection system based on analysis of involuntary analog emissions. The four-year contract has a total ceiling value of $8.3M and will be performed as part of DARPA’s Leveraging the Analog Domain for Security (LADS) program.

GISCafe Voice: How are you able to decipher which information is potentially significant and which is not?

Open sources and social media provide a wealth of information, but each source must be vetted carefully. We have developed a structured method for evaluating the quality and reliability of open sources based on their social network, past reporting, credentials, and other factors. We also have highly trained, contextually aware analysts with years of experience studying conflict around the world. Many of our analysts have spent time overseas and are fluent in multiple languages.

This holistic perspective allows us to weigh and judge information instead of accepting open source data at face value.
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