Home High-Tech Industry Announces New Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Information Security By Tinabeth Burton, Information Technology Association of America Washington D.C., January 29, 2001 - Nineteen of the nation’s leading high tech companies announced on January 16, 2001, the formation of a new Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) to cooperate on cyber security issues. The objective of the IT-ISAC is to enhance the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of networked information systems. In response to the recent increases in the number and nature of cyber attacks on networked information systems, the IT industry has banded together to fund this new organization to facilitate the sharing of threat and vulnerability information. The IT-ISAC is a not-for-profit corporation that will allow the information technology industry to report and exchange information concerning electronic incidents, threats, attacks, vulnerabilities, solutions and countermeasures, best security practices, and other protective measures. The organization is a voluntary, industry-led initiative with the goal of responding to broad-based security threats and reducing the impact of major incidents. Membership in the IT-ISAC is open to all U.S.-based information technology companies. It will offer a 24-by-7 network, notifying members of threats and vulnerabilities. The 19 Founding Member companies of the IT-ISAC, all represented at the announcement, are:
Six of the 19 companies involved in the IT-ISAC (AT&T, Cisco Systems, CSC, EDS, Microsoft, Nortel Networks) are member companies of the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). Of those six, five are active participants in the telecommunications ISAC operated by the National Communications System’s National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications (NCC). Significant IT industry input to the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection led to the adoption of a number of industry recommendations in the Commission’s final report, including the creation of public-private partnerships and information sharing mechanisms addressing threats and vulnerabilities of IT networks. These industry views were included in Presidential Decision Directive 63, which advanced a public-private sector plan for critical infrastructure protection. The IT industry has worked closely with the Department of Commerce and other Federal agencies in laying the groundwork to implement information sharing mechanisms. In February 2000, many IT industry leaders participated in a White House summit on network security and committed to create an IT industry mechanism to share information on cyber attacks, vulnerabilities and security practices. The January 16 announcement was the next step in what has been, and will continue to be, an ongoing cross-industry and Government partnership that is vital to improved network security and reliability and our common national interests. The IT-ISAC Founding Members were joined at announcement by former Commerce Secretary (and Transportation Secretary-designate) Norman Mineta; Information Technology Association of America President Harris N. Miller; Richard Clarke, the National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-Terrorism; and Greg Rohde, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. The creation of the center prompted numerous statements from the founding companies. Statements are posted at www.itaa.org
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