Steven Walker, acting director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has outlined DARPA’s plans to protect U.S. networks against cyber attacks at the 2017 Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium hosted by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, DoD News reported Wednesday.

Walker said DARPA’s security research goals are focused on efforts to harden systems against cyber attacks; continue operations during attacks; and win in the cyber domain.

In a move to harden systems, DARPA hosted the 2016 Cyber Grand Challenge where participants worked to defend a network and counterattack an adversary’s network within minutes using only machines.

Walker noted DARPA plans to turn CGC into an operational capability and transition the technology to other government agencies.

“You can imagine using it before we deploy a software product to test that software product against many different exploits and using it in sort of a pre-defense way as well,” said Walker.

DARPA also works to develop technologies that can detect, isolate and characterize cyberattacks on the electric power grid to support continued operations during cyberattacks, the acting director added.

The DARPA program seeks to create anomaly detection technologies with low false-alarm rates for the U.S power grid system as well as network isolation and threat characterization platforms for normal information technology and integrated control systems hardware and software.

The agency also launched the Plan X cyber mission framework tool in a push to provide a common operating picture for cyber warriors, Walker noted.

DARPA’s cyberwarfare programs include Enhanced Attribution, which seeks to provide visibility into all aspects of malicious cyber actions, and Network Defense Program, which has developed algorithms and tools to help detect illicit behavior in networks.

Walker believes DARPA is headed toward the development of a national network defense system that will support real-time monitoring of U.S. internet domains to detect botnets; correlate adversary probing of enterprise networks; show indications and warning of network compromises; and coordinate a national response to possible attacks.

The Commerce Department‘s National Telecommunications and Information Administration wants public input on actions that can help the government mitigate botnet attacks, Nextgov reported Monday.

NTIA released a request for comments on legislation, policies and technology that currently support anti-botnet efforts; gaps in existing approaches; and what role the federal government should take in the issue.

The agency also seeks feedback on how the global nature of internet and technology supply chains impact efforts to address botnets.

Stakeholders can also provide input on ways to educate users and decision-makers, such as enterprises and consumers.

The request is part of the actions mandated by an executive order titled “Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure,” which directs the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security to lead anti-botnet efforts.

Interested parties can submit comments through July 13.

The U.S. government has begun to consider how to ramp up the role of an interagency committee that evaluates acquisitions of U.S. companies by firms from countries that pose national security threats, Reuters reported Wednesday.

“We’re examining [the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.] to look at the long-term health and security of the U.S. economy, given China’s predatory practices” when it comes to sensitive technology platforms, an official with the Trump administration told Reuters.

The Treasury Department oversees CFIUS that includes nine members from federal agencies such as the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice.

The move stems from concerns over China’s investments in U.S.-made machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies that could be potentially used by the East Asian country to build up its military capabilities.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has started to draft a bill that would increase CFIUS’ authority to bar some foreign technology investments and require the committee to strengthen reviews of potential acquirers from countries that are seen as threats to U.S. national security.

“Artificial intelligence is one of many leading-edge technologies that China seeks and that has potential military applications,” a Cornyn aide said.

“These technologies are so new that our export control system has not yet figured out how to cover them, which is part of the reason they are slipping through the gaps in the existing safeguards.”