Deal struck for security alerts

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: William Knowles <wk () c4i org>

http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2002/0722/web-nipc-07-25-02.asp

By Diane Frank 
July 25, 2002

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers today
announced it has signed an agreement with the primary federal
infrastructure security analysis and warning center so that individual
states can receive alerts on cyber and physical threats.

The memorandum of agreement with the National Infrastructure 
Protection Center creates a formal venue for states to receive quick 
notification of general and specific warnings issued by the center. 

The NIPC, an interagency center, works closely with many public and 
private entities to develop alerts, analysis and assistance on 
infrastructure threats. It is part of the FBI; President Bush has 
proposed that the NIPC become part of the planned Homeland Security 
Department.

States interested in receiving the NIPC alerts will sign participation 
agreements with NASCIO, and they must agree to use any sensitive 
information with care.

The agreement with NIPC is the first step for the state CIOs toward 
forming a full-featured Interstate Information Sharing and Analysis 
Center (Interstate ISAC), according to a statement from Rock Regan, 
CIO of Connecticut and NASCIO president. The formation of such a 
center is called for in a report on information security in the public 
sector issued this week by NASCIO and the PricewaterhouseCoopers 
Endowment for the Business of Government.

The Interstate ISAC would follow the pattern of other centers by 
providing a way for information and intelligence on threats and 
vulnerabilities to be securely shared between the federal government 
and the ISAC.

Former President Clinton first urged the creation of sector-specific 
ISACs in May 1998 when he issued Presidential Decision Directive 63, 
which requires federal agencies to secure the information and physical 
systems that support the nation's critical infrastructure, such as 
banking and transportation. The Bush administration has continued to 
support the formation of ISACs to cooperate with the Critical 
Infrastructure Protection Board, created by executive order in October 
2001.


 
*==============================================================*
"Communications without intelligence is noise;  Intelligence
without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
================================================================
C4I.org - Computer Security, & Intelligence - http://www.c4i.org
*==============================================================*



-
ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org

To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn'
in the BODY of the mail.