Battelle Energy Alliance Awards NexDefense Inc. Commercialization Rights to Sophia Software Tool Developed at Idaho National Laboratory

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NexDefense, Inc., www.NexDefense.com, a provider of cyber security solutions for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) used in the operation of critical infrastructure, today announced that Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has signed a patent and copyright license giving NexDefense exclusive rights to commercialize its Sophia software. Sophia (Greek for wisdom) is an ICS network fingerprinting and monitoring tool developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) during the past three years with an investment of over $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability (DOE-OE).

Sophia is a patent-pending, passive, real-time diagnostic and security tool that builds and maintains an ICS network fingerprint and continuously monitors activity against it, alerting its managers of any abnormal communication for further investigation, monitoring or action.

Beta testing conducted by BEA recently concluded involving more than 40 participants, including major utilities, control system vendors and departments of the federal government. Participants experienced immediate benefits in the fingerprinting process (mapping of communication activities) and longer-term benefits in monitoring and testing modifications to ICS configurations. Beta participants and others in the industry have expressed interest in obtaining commercial-grade Sophia software, services and support. Currently, there are 12 active federal government users, including organizations within Homeland Security, the U.S. Army and the Navy.

Cyber security threats to critical infrastructure systems are constantly evolving and ICS network administrators and operators have a challenging job of safeguarding their systems from attacks. ICS networks have unique characteristics that require sophisticated and safe tools to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

Recently, President Obama declared that the "cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation."

"Because of the great need to meet the network security and operational challenges of our critical infrastructure, NexDefense plans to develop, enhance and tailor multiple commercial versions of Sophia to meet those needs," said Michael Assante, Co-Founder of NexDefense. "The resulting products will improve ICS operations reliability, survivability, resilience and efficiency."

"NexDefense has very strong industry relationships and offered a robust business plan to achieve our goal of widespread deployment of Sophia to the energy sector and electric power generation, transmission and distribution systems," said Mark Kaczor, BEA/INL's Senior Commercialization Manager for Sophia. "We are pleased to award NexDefense this opportunity and further support them through our Technology Assistance Program."

NexDefense is accepting participants in a new Beta II Testing and Planning program through February 15, 2014. The Beta II program will share Sophia with industry experts for their testing and deployment planning, as well as facilitate industry input into the first commercial versions of Sophia from NexDefense planned for later in 2014.

To sign up for the Beta II program or for more information on NexDefense and its commercialization of Sophia, visit www.NexDefense.com, or email info@nexdefense.com.

About NexDefense, Inc.

NexDefense brings top industrial automation and cyber security expertise together to forge proactive next-generation industrial cyber security solutions that help protect our nation's critical infrastructure, including providers of national and homeland security, electricity, natural gas, water, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum-based products.

NexDefense founders' backgrounds include founding the network security intelligence company LogiKeep, now Cisco's IntellishieldTM; Chief Security Officer (CSO) for AEP, a Fortune 200 energy company; CSO for North American Electric Reliability Corporation; creating the National Board of Security Examiners and the ICS curriculum for the SANS Institute; as well as decades of related security, technology and business experience. Read more about us here: http://nexdefense.com/about-us/our-team/.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 10 multi-program national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA).

Contact:
Julie George
Director of Communications
Julie.George@NexDefense.com
www.NexDefense.com

SOURCE NexDefense, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://nexdefense.com

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Battelle Energy Alliance Awards NexDefense Inc. Commercialization Rights to Sophia Software Tool Developed at Idaho National Laboratory

SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- NexDefense, Inc., www.NexDefense.com, a provider of cyber security solutions for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) used in the operation of critical infrastructure, today announced that Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has signed a patent and copyright license giving NexDefense exclusive rights to commercialize its Sophia software. Sophia (Greek for wisdom) is an ICS network fingerprinting and monitoring tool developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) during the past three years with an investment of over $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability (DOE-OE).

Sophia is a patent-pending, passive, real-time diagnostic and security tool that builds and maintains an ICS network fingerprint and continuously monitors activity against it, alerting its managers of any abnormal communication for further investigation, monitoring or action.

Beta testing conducted by BEA recently concluded involving more than 40 participants, including major utilities, control system vendors and departments of the federal government. Participants experienced immediate benefits in the fingerprinting process (mapping of communication activities) and longer-term benefits in monitoring and testing modifications to ICS configurations. Beta participants and others in the industry have expressed interest in obtaining commercial-grade Sophia software, services and support. Currently, there are 12 active federal government users, including organizations within Homeland Security, the U.S. Army and the Navy.

Cyber security threats to critical infrastructure systems are constantly evolving and ICS network administrators and operators have a challenging job of safeguarding their systems from attacks. ICS networks have unique characteristics that require sophisticated and safe tools to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

Recently, President Obama declared that the "cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation."

"Because of the great need to meet the network security and operational challenges of our critical infrastructure, NexDefense plans to develop, enhance and tailor multiple commercial versions of Sophia to meet those needs," said Michael Assante, Co-Founder of NexDefense. "The resulting products will improve ICS operations reliability, survivability, resilience and efficiency."

"NexDefense has very strong industry relationships and offered a robust business plan to achieve our goal of widespread deployment of Sophia to the energy sector and electric power generation, transmission and distribution systems," said Mark Kaczor, BEA/INL's Senior Commercialization Manager for Sophia. "We are pleased to award NexDefense this opportunity and further support them through our Technology Assistance Program."

NexDefense is accepting participants in a new Beta II Testing and Planning program through February 15, 2014. The Beta II program will share Sophia with industry experts for their testing and deployment planning, as well as facilitate industry input into the first commercial versions of Sophia from NexDefense planned for later in 2014.

To sign up for the Beta II program or for more information on NexDefense and its commercialization of Sophia, visit www.NexDefense.com, or email info@nexdefense.com.

About NexDefense, Inc.

NexDefense brings top industrial automation and cyber security expertise together to forge proactive next-generation industrial cyber security solutions that help protect our nation's critical infrastructure, including providers of national and homeland security, electricity, natural gas, water, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and petroleum-based products.

NexDefense founders' backgrounds include founding the network security intelligence company LogiKeep, now Cisco's IntellishieldTM; Chief Security Officer (CSO) for AEP, a Fortune 200 energy company; CSO for North American Electric Reliability Corporation; creating the National Board of Security Examiners and the ICS curriculum for the SANS Institute; as well as decades of related security, technology and business experience. Read more about us here: http://nexdefense.com/about-us/our-team/.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) 10 multi-program national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation's leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory is the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA).

Contact:
Julie George
Director of Communications
Julie.George@NexDefense.com
www.NexDefense.com

SOURCE NexDefense, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://nexdefense.com

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Dynasil's RMD Subsidiary Awarded $4 Million in Technology Development Grants by U.S. Department of Energy

WATERTOWN, Mass., Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynasil Corporation of America (NASDAQ: DYSL) today announced that its contract research subsidiary, RMD Inc., has received four grants totaling $4.0 million under the U.S. Department of Energy's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs.

"RMD's world-class research in nuclear detection continues to be on the cutting edge of new technologies," said Peter Sulick, Dynasil's Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President. "Advanced nuclear detection materials are being developed for the Department of Energy to further replace helium-3 in the critical areas of homeland security and nuclear fuel accountability."

"From accounting for the country's nuclear fuel supply to monitoring the 15 million shipping containers that enter the U.S.'s ports every year for illicit nuclear materials, the new Phase II research projects RMD is undertaking through these SBIR/STTR Programs exemplify some of the world's most demanding security and safety needs," said Kanai Shah, Ph. D. President of Dynasil's RMD subsidiary. "Dynasil is proud to partner with the Department of Energy on these initiatives." 

"These Phase II grants capitalize on our technical and scientific capability in the development of scintillation materials and solid state sensors for nuclear detection," Kanai Shah said.  "Our work has significant application in the prevention of terrorist attacks and the safe guarding of nuclear materials, as well as in commercial endeavors such as energy exploration, nuclear power plant safety, medical imaging, basic science research and non-destructive testing."

About Dynasil
Dynasil Corporation of America (NASDAQ: DYSL) develops and manufactures detection and analysis technology, precision instruments and optical components for the homeland security, medical and industrial markets including medical imaging and sensors for non-destructive testing. Dynasil has an impressive and growing portfolio of issued and pending U.S. patents.  The Company is based in Watertown, Massachusetts, with additional operations in MA, MN, NY, NJ and the United Kingdom. More information about the Company is available at www.dynasil.com.

Safe Harbor 
This news release may contain forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections and the beliefs and assumptions of our management.  These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "intends," "may," "could," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "continue" or similar terms, though not all forward-looking statements contain such words.  The actual results of the future events described in such forward looking statements could differ materially from those stated in such forward looking statements due to a number of important factors. These factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated or predicted include, without limitation, our ability to develop and commercialize our products, the size and growth of the potential markets for our products and our ability to serve those markets, the rate and degree of market acceptance of any of our products, general economic conditions, costs and availability of raw materials and management information systems, our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, competition, the loss of key management and technical personnel, our ability to obtain timely payment of our invoices to governmental customers, litigation, the effect of governmental regulatory developments, the availability of financing sources, our ability to identify and execute on acquisition opportunities and integrate such acquisitions into our business, and seasonality, as well as the uncertainties set forth in the Company's 2012 Annual Report on Form 10 K, as amended on February 14, 2013, including the risk factors contained in Item 1a, the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed on February 13, 2013, May 15, 2013 and August 12, 2013 and from time to time in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:
Patty Kehe
Corporate Secretary
Dynasil Corporation of America
Phone: (617) 668-6855
pkehe@dynasil.com

SOURCE Dynasil Corporation of America

RELATED LINKS
http://www.dynasil.com

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