Multistate info center planned

DITCO Multi-State ISAC notice

Defense Department officials plan to work through the New York State Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination to sign up states and other governments to a new information-sharing center, according to a notice released Sept. 17.

The new Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) is one of many centers being established by government and private-sector officials under the 2003 National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. What is still needed is an organization to help enroll all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and American Indian tribes for this center. That group also will be responsible for helping those governments build their information security and homeland security monitoring, analysis, and response capabilities, according to the notice from the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization.

Working with the FBI at the time, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers in 2002 set up a similar center, although it no longer formally exists.

Organization officials plan to award a one-year contract to the New York office because the work must be done by the government, and Defense officials believe the state is the only one that can meet all the requirements. However, other state agencies can also provide such services and may submit information by 2 p.m. Sept. 24.