The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is launching an effort to promote research and development in blockchain technology for government and industry applications. DHS said Tuesday that the project, supported by S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program, seeks to foster public-private partnerships to test blockchain technology and develop relevant security, interoperability and privacy standards and specifications.
“The goal of the blockchain program was to further understand the technology’s capabilities, and also to support and, as needed, create broadly accepted standards to benefit both government entities and the companies in the emerging sector,†DHS noted.
According to the agency, blockchain is known to be resistant to hacking and alternation, and therefore useful for homeland security enterprise operations that require speed and security. S&T collaborated with Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Transportation Security Administration to integrate blockchain into their respective operations.
