DOT forms cyberthreat alliance

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/0514/web-dot-05-17-01.asp

BY Paula Shaki Trimble 
05/17/2001

The Transportation Department formed a partnership this week with the
Airports Council International-North America, DOTs latest industry
alliance to increase data sharing on information security threats.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and ACI-NA president David
Plavin agreed Tuesday to work closely to identify vulnerabilities in
the aviation communications and information infrastructure, share
threat information and develop a joint plan to protect the nations
aviation system from hacking and other attacks.

Airports are dependent on information systems for access control,
baggage handling, automated voice flight information, navigational
aids, reservations and ticketing, maintenance scheduling and gate
scheduling, Plavin said in a DOT statement.

ACI-NA and DOT will create the agencys second Information Sharing and
Analysis Center to help disperse information about information system
attacks, such as the ILOVEYOU virus. The first ISAC was formed with
the railroad industry through the Association of American Railroads in
October. Both will serve as clearinghouses for receiving, analyzing
and distributing critical data for protecting information systems. The
two ISACs will work together and work with other transportation ISACs
as they are formed, the DOT statement said.

Through the partnership, DOT and ACI-NA also will sponsor aviation
industry workshops that will help raise awareness of information
threats and vulnerabilities and begin developing strategies to address
threats. FAA already is conducting its own information security
awareness campaign for employees in all lines of FAA business under
the leadership of Michael Brown, the FAAs information security
director.

Plavin will be the aviation industry point of contact on
aviation-focused critical infrastructure issues, and he will work with
Rear Adm. Jim Underwood, director of the DOT Secretarys Office of
Intelligence and Security.




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