A blockchain project that will be dedicated to securing data from US Border Patrol cameras and sensors have received a grant worth $192,380 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The new fund release, a fourth portion of the $800,000 grant, will be used to fund the beta testing of the project that is to begin in the coming months.
Factom, a blockchain startup somewhere in Texas had in 2016 proposed to create a solution that integrates data from the Border Patrol cameras and sensors unto a blockchain.
According to the Factom, this would create a seamless experience in securing data, thus eliminating the opportunity to spoof, modify or disrupt it.
The project is now in its fourth phase and will undergo beta testing in a Border Patrol facility with limited internet connectivity and variable weather conditions to gauge its performance.
Anil John, the Identity Management Research and Development Program Manager for the DHS disclosed what has been achieved so far and what the next phase will reveal.
“The early phases of Factom’s work has informed architecture choices and design decisions inherent in integrating blockchain with existing technologies,”
“Now in Phase IV, Factom will deploy this technology in a realistic field environment with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to understand its operational impacts,” he said.
As part of its Silicon Valley Innovation Program, the Department of Homeland Security has provided grants to 23 start-ups (including Factom) who are working to incorporate modern technological product and processes to the security agency.
Among other inventions, projects involving the internet of things, unmanned aircraft systems, cybersecurity solutions for financial services, global travel assessment systems, airport passenger processing and wearable technologies come under the radar for the DHS.
Having a blockchain project claiming one of the funding spots gives credibility to the new generation technology and reinforces that it has a future beyond cryptocurrencies.
Following a successful beta testing, the Factom blockchain solution will be rolled out as a security model for the DHS. This will represent a major feat for the start-up and an even greater value for blockchain technology.
Obviously, the future remains incredibly bright for the world’s second Internet!
