The Information Sharing Organization Standards Organization (ISAO SO) has been working to develop key strategic partnerships in an effort to strengthen the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) ecosystem. The ISAO SO is excited to announce its first strategic partnership with InfraGard. As an organization dedicated to sharing information intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States, InfraGard complements the ISAO SO’s efforts to create a more secure and resilient Nation that is connected, informed, and empowered.
InfraGard, a non-profit organization, serves as a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and members of the private sector. The InfraGard program provides a vehicle for seamless public-private collaboration with government that expedites the timely exchange of information and promotes mutual learning opportunities relevant to the protection of Critical Infrastructure. With thousands of vetted members nationally, InfraGard’s membership includes business executives, entrepreneurs, military and government officials, computer professionals, academia and state and local law enforcement; each dedicated to contributing industry specific insight and advancing national security.
“The goal of this partnership is to improve the sharing of information and intelligence to create a more cyber resilient Nation to protect our National Critical Infrastructure and its resources through collaboration at the National, State, Local and organizational levels,” said Allen Shreffler, Deputy Director of the ISAO SO. “Both organizations intend to support each other’s missions and visions for organizational awareness by promoting one another’s events, providing subject matter expertise to each other’s organization committees and working group, and highlighting resources available to each other’s membership.”
In addition to identifying voluntary standards and guidelines for robust and effective information sharing and analysis related to cybersecurity risks, incidents and best practices, the ISAO SO has continuously worked to build a dynamic and sustainable ISAO ecosystem. Although the ISAO SO has been working diligently for nearly three years on this effort, the mission is not fully realized. Instead, the ISAO SO finds the community ever growing, requiring advanced guidance from leadership. This key strategic partnership will commence a new milestone for the future of the ISAO SO and the information sharing ecosystem.
About the ISAO Standards Organization
In October 2015, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security selected a team led by the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) with support from LMI, and the Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center, as its Information Sharing and Analysis Organization Standards Organization (ISAO SO), a non-governmental organization, to facilitate the implementation of Presidential Executive Order 13691. The ISAO SO’s mission is to improve the Nation’s cybersecurity posture by identifying standards and guidelines for robust and effective information sharing and analysis related to cybersecurity risks, incidents and best practices. The ISAO SO works with existing information sharing organizations, owners and operators of critical infrastructure, relevant agencies, and other public and private sector stakeholders through a consensus-driven standards development process to identify a common set of voluntary standards and guidelines for the creation and functioning of Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs).
About InfraGard
InfraGard is a partnership between the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the private sector. It is an association of persons who represent businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the U.S. Each InfraGard Members Alliance (IMA) geographically linked with an FBI Field Office, provides all stakeholders immediate access to experts from law enforcement, industry, academic institutions and other federal, state and local government agencies. By utilizing the talents and expertise of the InfraGard network, information is shared to mitigate threats to our nation’s critical infrastructures and critical resources. Collaboration and communication are the keys to protection. Providing timely and accurate information to those responsible for safeguarding our critical infrastructures, even at a local level, is paramount in the fight to protect the United States and its resources.
