January 16, 2001

For More Information Contact:
Tinabeth Burton (703) 284-5305 tburton@itaa.org

Washington, DC, January 16, 2001 – Nineteen of the nation’s leading high tech companies today announced 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 nineteen Founding Member companies of the IT-ISAC, all represented at the announcement, are AT&T, Cisco Systems, Computer Associates, CSC, EDS, Entrust Technologies, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Intel Corporation, KPMG Consulting, Microsoft Corporation, Nortel Networks, Oracle Corp., RSA Security, Securify Inc., Symantec Corporation, Titan Systems Corp., Veridian and VeriSign, Inc.

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, and 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. Today's announcement is 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 today’s announcement by Commerce Secretary (Transportation Secretary-designate) Norman Mineta, Information Technology Association of America President Harris N. Miller, the National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-Terrorism, Richard Clarke, and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, Greg Rohde.

The creation of the center prompted numerous statements from the founding companies. Statements are posted at www.itaa.org.