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Security Threats Help Business and Government Find Common Ground

© Alan Kotok

WASHINGTON, DC – With a noticeable increase in hacker and denial-of-service attacks on business Web sites – Microsoft’s sites being the latest targets on January 25 and 26 – both the private and public sectors have found common ground in keeping each other better informed and striking back. Coming not a moment too soon, on January 16 the Department of Commerce and executives from 19 technology companies announced creation of the Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC).

The openness of the Internet has improved the personal and business lives of many people, but it has also opened business systems to threats ranging from adolescent pranks to outright destructiveness. In one of his last acts of Commerce Secretary, Norman Mineta announced creation of IT-ISAC, a new not-for-profit corporation, to help businesses and government agencies spot these threats earlier on and keep each other better informed. President Bush picked Mineta to become Secretary of Transportation in the new administration.

In making the announcement, Mineta said IT-ISAC would “enable the high-tech industry to take the lead in spotting potential threats to the Internet and information infrastructures more quickly, sharing state-of-the-art Internet and information infrastructure security measures, and responding in a more coordinated way when incidents occur. Ultimately, we anticipate that there will be industry and government sharing of information among the ISACs that have been created."

According to the Department’s announcement, IT-ISAC mission is to report and exchange information among its industry members concerning electronic incidents, threats, attacks, vulnerabilities, solutions and countermeasures, best security practices and other protective measures; to establish a mechanism for systematic and protected exchange and coordination of such information; and to take other appropriate action commensurate with these goals.

The industry participants include AT&T, Cisco Systems, Computer Associates, CSC, EDS, Entrust Technologies, Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM, Intel Corporation, KPMG Consulting, Microsoft, Nortel Networks, Oracle Corporation, RSA Security, Securify, Inc., Symantec Corporation, Titan Systems Corp, Veridian, and VeriSign Global Registry Services. Representatives from these 19 founding companies will serve on the IT-ISAC board of directors.

Both the private sector and government have recognized for some time the need to work together to combat security threats. In October 1997, the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP) issued its findings, noting the vulnerability of vital IT targets in energy, banking and finance, transportation, vital human services, and telecommunications. The openness of information networks made these targets especially inviting.

In May 1998, the White House issued Presidential Decision Directive 63 (PDD-63) to implement the reports findings. PDD-63 includes a recommendation for more voluntary partnerships with private companies particularly in keeping each other better informed. The Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) were created as a result.

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