Leveraging Communications Pragmatics to Enable Neural Network Based Threat Identification Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Topic No.: N08-084 Topic Title: Leveraging Communications Pragmatics to Enable Neural Network Based Threat Identification Proposal No.: N081-084-0631 Firm: Stottler Henke Associates, Inc. 951 Mariner''''s Island Blvd., STE 360 San Mateo, California 94404 Contact: Tamitha Carpenter Phone: (206) 545-1478 Web Site: www.stottlerhenke.com Abstract: Given the evolving risks posed by irregular adversaries, we must consider a wide variety of strategic and tactical threats beyond suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. In order to mitigate these threats we must dramatically improve our ability to draw predictive value from the massive volumes of available unstructured open source intelligence (OSINT). We propose to develop Propheteer, a system that will be capable of rapidly processing that data to predict trends in at risk populations and threat levels. Our approach fully exploits the unique capabilities of a particular form of recurrent neural networks called Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). The primary strength of the LSTM model is its ability to efficiently uncover patterns in complex temporal data. We also recognize that the success of Propheteer will be largely dependent on the numerical reduction of the complex and voluminous OSINT. A major contribution of this effort will be the extension of our topic tracking tool to automatically identify sequences of reports held within unstructured data archives. These sequences will provide Propheteer with essential temporal training data centered on an event of interest and extending both backwards and forwards in time - without incurring the high costs of extensive manual tagging. Benefits: The implementation of Propheteer presents Stottler Henke with the unique opportunity to further our efforts to develop products based on our unique unstructured data processing technologies. In addition to obvious benefits in military situation awareness and Effects Based Operations, Propheteer will provide corporations with an early warning capability that allows them to monitor their competitors and the markets for changes that may signal impending threats. Further, the proposed technology will be integrated with our Vista system, which supports cross-organizational knowledge exchange in Emergency Management centers. The new integrated capability will allow municipal, county, and state organizations to better anticipate Homeland Security threats and other risks to local populations. Return