Credit: Thinkstock I want to congratulate the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), in its capacity as the Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) Standards Organization, for its outstanding work that resulted in the recent publication of four guidance documents in support of the creation and operation of ISAOs.Executive Order (EO) 13691, issued in February of 2015, directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to encourage the development and formation of ISAOs. Additionally, the EO required the department to select, through an open and competitive process, a non-governmental entity to serve as the ISAO Standards Organization. Through this process, DHS selected UTSA to serve as the ISAO Standards Organization with the purpose of identifying standards and guidelines for robust and effective information sharing and the widespread establishment of ISAOs. ISAOs go beyond critical infrastructure sectors and are formed on the basis of sector, sub-sector, region, or any affinity, including in response to particular emerging threats or vulnerabilities.UTSA, in conjunction with its partners, engaged in a vigorous engagement process that gained public comments and feedback from more than 150 industry experts through online meetings, in-person forums and Request for Comment Periods for previous drafts. The results were considered and adjudicated in an open and transparent process using consensus-based development.The recently released documents guide readers through the most critical considerations toward establishing a new ISAO. They identify laws and regulations for sharing cybersecurity information within the United States, particularly related to privacy and security concerns, and they describe the conceptual framework for sharing cybersecurity-related information that can facilitate information sharing. As new ISAOs continue to form, the United States will gain new cybersecurity information sharing networks that will help to broaden cyber information sharing relationships. Establishing a broad network of ISAOs sharing information with each other and the federal government will change the game. If cyber indicators are shared broadly with DHS, it will drop a lot of the noise out of the system. It won’t eliminate sophisticated threats, but it will allow everyone to concentrate more on them by freeing up resources.By working together, we can help protect each other from a wide variety of cyber threats and ultimately reduce the prevalence of cybersecurity compromises. Please visit the ISAO Standards Organization webpage for the publications and more information on the standards development process. Related content opinion New National Cyber Incident Response Plan By Danny Toler Feb 27, 2017 2 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Data Breach IT Skills opinion Putting the privacy into cybersecurity at DHS By Jamie Danker Dec 13, 2016 3 mins Big Data Data and Information Security Security opinion DHS helps you make your control systems more secure After a zero-day exploit to the maritime transportation sector, DHS's National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center notified potentially affected U.S. ports about the threat. They described the apparent vulnerability and provided By Andy Ozment Nov 28, 2016 3 mins Security opinion Lighting up a changing world Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight not only the opportunities but also the risks that come with connectivity. By Phyllis Schneck Oct 05, 2016 6 mins Critical Infrastructure Data and Information Security Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe