DHS taps university to shape strategy for countering cyber attacks

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently selected the University of Texas at San Antonio to house the Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAO) Standards Organization, which will "create standards to assist in the widespread establishment of ISAOs" to boost cybersecurity, DHS said.

ISAOs serve as core focal points for cybersecurity information sharing and collaboration within the private sector, as well as between the private sector and government.

The creation of an ISAO standards organization is part of a DHS effort to address the danger of sophisticated cyber attacks in the U.S. DHS officials said all types of organizations in the U.S. need to be able to share and respond to cyber risks in as close to real time as possible.

In response to that need, President Obama issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to encourage the development of ISAOs.

The University of Texas at San Antonio will work with existing information-sharing organizations, owners and operators of critical infrastructure, federal agencies, and other public- and private-sector organizations to identify a common set of standards or guidelines for the creation and operation of ISAOs.

The ISAO standards developed by the University of Texas at San Antonio will bring together today’s most effective and innovative ideas for cyber security from the public and private sectors, developing a set of best practices that align with the needs of all industry groups.





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