Reston, VA – October 27, 2026 -- Red Cat Holdings (NASDAQ: RCAT) has selected SpiderOak to run a comprehensive Blue UAS cybersecurity assessment of its Black WidowTM Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) platform, a step toward placing the system on the Defense Innovation Unit's Blue UAS Cleared List.
SpiderOak will test the Black Widow for vulnerabilities, penetration and foreign influence
SpiderOak is an official DIU Recognized Assessor. Its team will carry out vulnerability analysis, penetration testing and Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) evaluations of the Black Widow. The work is meant to validate that the platform meets U.S. Government cybersecurity, supply chain and compliance standards before it enters the Department of War supply chain.
Assessment methodology maps to NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53 and Executive Order 14028
SpiderOak combines threat modeling, secure-by-design analysis and supply chain forensics. It says this approach helps partners meet or exceed requirements under NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53 and Executive Order 14028.
The company also says the assessments strengthen the resilience of command, control and telemetry links in contested environments.
Red Cat ties the Black Widow's cyber credentials to supply chain integrity
Red Cat's Black Widow leads the company's Family of Systems of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). Jason Gunter, VP of Tech and Innovation at Red Cat, said "cybersecurity is foundational to trust and mission assurance." He added that the engagement is intended to make Black Widow a benchmark for cyber protection and supply chain integrity in defense-grade UAS.
Michael Carlson, SpiderOak's Senior Director of Business Development, said the assessment services are designed to help partners validate cyber readiness, achieve certification and field capabilities sooner.
Neither company disclosed a contract value or a timeline for the Cleared List decision.