DULLES, Va. -- Cigital, Inc. today announced the U.S. Air Force has selected Cigital, as part of a team led by Telos Corporation and including Fortify Software, IBM Watchfire and Application Security Inc., to provide expert technical leadership and services in creating and operating an Air Force Application Software Assurance Center of Excellence. The center of excellence is tasked with centralizing software assurance knowledge and best practices Air Force-wide. Operating under the 754th ELSG at Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, AL, initial funding for the center has been awarded under NETCENTS with minimum funding of $10.2M and up to $75M over a two-year period of performance.

With 15 years of software assurance expertise, and demonstrated thought leadership in the field, Cigital was selected for this project based on successful execution of similar engagements with Fortune 500 clients. These clients, including some of the largest financial services organizations, have been innovators in their industries by applying secure software development practices rather than focusing solely on intrusion protection. They have been the first to develop software centers of excellence with Cigital's advice. IT industry analysts universally advocate the mitigation of software vulnerabilities at the application layer, instead of just depending on perimeter protection.

The Air Force is showing its commitment to addressing software assurance focusing support across the following areas: software risk assessment and management; software assurance knowledge and training, processes and practices, automation and tools; software acquisition assurance, software assurance governance and secure software operation.

"We're very enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with the Air Force on such a ground-breaking venture" said John Wyatt, President of Cigital. "This recognition of the critical nature of software assurance and the commitment to address it in a strategic and comprehensive fashion will serve as an exemplar to other organizations throughout the government and industry."

Cigital Inc.