MS-ISAC offers Webcasts for all

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) provides information from the 50 United States and the District of Columbia on a site hosted by the State of New York. There’s a great deal of material on the site that’s useful for everyone interested in raising security awareness in the corporate world or in academia.

According to the overview and historical information, the organization began in 2003 and meets regularly via teleconference. The mission is defined as follows (quoting):

* To provide a focal point for gathering information on cyber threats to critical infrastructures.

* Two-way sharing of information on critical infrastructure cyber incidents and threats.

– Providing timely warnings of cyber threats and attacks.

– Producing comprehensive information and intelligence analyses to support. federal, state and local first responders and law enforcement readiness and response efforts.

Objectives of the ISAC (also quoting) are:

* Disseminate early warnings of cyber system threats.

* Share security incident information between Sectors.

* Provide trending and other analysis for security planning.

* Distribute current proven security practices and suggestions.

On the site, you can find the National Webcast Initiative’s free lectures in .WMV format, which anyone can listen to using commonly available software. The series includes the following useful topics:

* Cyber Security: The Three Things You Should Have Done Yesterday and The Three Things You Should Do Today

* Performing a Cyber Security Risk Assessment: Why? When? and How?

* Are YOU the Weakest Link?

* Adware / Spyware: How to Protect Yourself from Today’s Most Dangerous Spyware Threats

* Are You Secure? … Are You Sure? Vulnerability Management

* Botnets

* Wireless Security

* Protecting Our Children on the Internet

* Cyber Security Tips During the Holiday Season

* Identity Theft

These Webcasts are provided by noted experts in the field, including CISOs who have practical experience in the subjects discussed. For example, according to the Web site, the identity-theft Webcast was presented by:

“D. Scott Parsons, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Compliance Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Howard A. Schmidt, CISSP, CISM, President & CEO R & H Security Consulting LLC, Former Chair of President Bush’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board and Special Adviser for Cyberspace Security for the White House, Joseph Martucci, Senior Security Engineer, Symantec Consulting Services, and Mr. William Pelgrin, Chair of the MS-ISAC.”

I hope readers and their colleagues and students will find these resources useful.