PNNL

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced imaging, and cybersecurity are changing the fight against evolving threats. Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) shared how their science and technology are enhancing homeland security at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) Summit, held virtually in August 2025. The closed event, hosted annually by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Office of National Laboratories, convenes DHS components, such as the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection, with DHS laboratories and Department of Energy national laboratories like PNNL to discuss research projects and capabilities applicable to the homeland security enterprise. 

“This event continues to be a productive exchange of how our national laboratory science and technology can maintain national security and advance the DHS mission,” said Ryan Eddy, PNNL director of homeland security programs. 

During the event, experts at PNNL participated on panels and presented on the following subjects: 

• PNNL Systems Engineer Jon Barr participated on a panel discussing “foresight and futures,” including a mix of national laboratory, academic, and subject matter expert perspectives on how to utilize foresight processes to understand the scientific challenges and opportunities that are likely to face the nation. 
• The panel “The Power of Partnership: Building Resilience Through DOE Collaboration” highlighted the benefits of partnerships between DHS and DOE national laboratories. This multi-laboratory panel included Eddy, along with representatives from Argonne, Idaho, Sandia, and Brookhaven national laboratories. 
• Alex Hagen, data scientist, discussed AI and machine vision for X-ray cargo screening for border security, including sharing perspective on operationalizable and scalable computer vision for radiograph screening.
• Trevor Edwards, data scientist, shared how a tool called Cache is used in the mission to counter transnational organized crime. Originally developed through a strategic partnership with PNNL and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Cache offers a powerful, scalable tool designed for the exploration and analysis of large-scale, heterogeneous data. 
• Loc Truong highlighted automating cyber red teaming via large language models, including a framework designed to be modular and work as a co-pilot with cyber experts to implement an attack simulation in minutes to quickly mitigate new cyber threats against critical infrastructure.
• In his presentation on automating cyber defense, Bill Hofer highlighted efforts to automate cyber defense by leveraging the Control Environment Laboratory Resource digital twins and adversary emulators for streamlined threat, techniques, and procedures testing. The same platforms were recently used in a training exercise simulating a cybersecurity attack on a maritime port of entry. 

The three-day event featured subject matter experts presenting on more than 60 diverse topics, delivering insightful and informative insights to the DHS and national laboratory participants alike. 

“This summit let us demonstrate how our capabilities align with homeland security missions, explore where we might work better together, and discuss what areas we should consider for future research and development,” said Eddy. 

“It was a great opportunity to discuss PNNL’s mission impact with attendees and to hear their difficult and nuanced questions about technologies. I am excited to see how the broader DHS S&T and national laboratory community will proceed after sharing all the insights at the summit,” added Hagen.