One to watch regarding standards and security

In May 2008 I provided an overview of Standards Organizations CTOs Should Track. Standards groups don’t change that fast, so the list is still pretty much ok, but I was very light on industry consortia. Industry groups can play a large role in setting and implementing standards. Industry reps send the majority of thinkers to standards bodies and industry management decides what standards to follow or ignore. Tracking industry consortia can be ve…

In May 2008 I provided an overview of Standards Organizations CTOs Should Track.  Standards groups don’t change that fast, so the list is still pretty much ok, but I was very light on industry consortia.  Industry groups can play a large role in setting and implementing standards.  Industry reps send the majority of thinkers to standards bodies and industry management decides what standards to follow or ignore.  Tracking industry consortia can be very important to the CTO.  Since security is such a hot topic (see: The Future of Cyberspace Security and Melissa Hathaway Op-Ed on Cyber Security, for example ) I wanted to point out one I think we should all watch.  The Industry Consortium for Advancement of Security on the Internet or ICASI. 
ICASI was formed as a non-profit organization by a group of global IT leaders including Cisco, IBM, Intel, Juniper and Microsoft.  ICASI establishes trust mechanisms to allow those vendors to work very close together in a multi-lateral way to address international, multi-product threats.  Member companies can work in ways that protect sensitive information but enable effective collaboration.  Global leaders were sought for membership because of both the need to serve global customers and the challenges of defending against threats to global supply chains.  The ICASI is an informed group that is clearly aware of and supportive of many other efforts, like those sponsored by the White House and Department of Homeland Security.  For example, the ICASI cites reporting from National Security and Telecommunications Advisory Committee, like the NSTAC Report to the President on International Communications dated 16 August 2007 which highlights the need for a group like ICASI.   The ICASI vision:  Drive exellence and innovation in security response and share it with industry.  ICASI was formed by some of the greatest companies in the IT community.  As an optimist I believe they will help enhance security and look forward to their upcoming report on accomplishments.   But still, they are trying to tackle some very hard problems.  And they have not been providing information to the public on their internal dialog.  Should we be concerned that this was another good attempt that fell short of the vision?  Will the huge cuts in IT companies impact the people and resources provided to ICASI?  Stay tuned for more info…
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