ISACs: Information Sharing & Analysis Centers

The digital landscape has long been a sort of Wild West: each organization contends for itself and fights alone against a growing onslaught of cybercrime. Some enterprises build impressive security infrastructures. Many more organizations struggle to maintain vital security measures as cybercriminals’ tactics evolve.

Today, the cybersecurity industry wants to usher in a more advanced era, one where organizations collaborate to improve resilience and mitigate risks. ISACs allow organizations to share tools, threat information, and best practices to fight cybercrimes effectively, even as their attacks become more sophisticated.

Read on to learn how ISACs are the future of cybersecurity.

What are ISACs in security?

Short for “Information Sharing and Analysis Centers”, ISACs are sector-specific entities that provide a centralized resource for:

• Gathering information on cyber threats.
• Sharing that information among its members.

These centers bridge the public and private sectors, promoting cooperation and communication regarding threats, vulnerabilities, risks and best practices.

ISACs play a pivotal role in cybersecurity. They function as centralized entities within specific sectors, offering a place to exchange valid information on cyber threats. Their primary objective is to amass, dissect, and circulate actionable threat intelligence to member organizations. This collaboration enables members to benefit from shared experience and mitigation strategies.

By consolidating info from various sources, ISACs provide early warnings about coming cyber threats. These centers also develop sector-specific best practices, guidelines, and benchmarks, ensuring each industry gets tailored cybersecurity insights.

Their reach isn’t limited to the private sector; many ISACs maintain close ties with government agencies, bridging the gap between the public and private sectors and promoting a coordinated defense strategy.

(There are threats, and then there is threat intelligence: know the difference.)

Core functions of ISACs

The core functions of ISACs emphasize a collaborative and proactive approach to cybersecurity. By pooling resources and intelligence and promoting best practices, ISACs play a critical role in fortifying the cyber defenses of their member organizations and the sectors they represent.

Information sharing

At the heart of any ISAC is its ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate information about cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and incidents. In the fast-paced world of cybersecurity, having timely and accurate information is vital. ISACs help organizations to:

• Understand the threat landscape.
• Adjust their defenses accordingly.
• Respond more effectively to incidents.

Information is often shared through alerts, bulletins, reports, and webinars. Some ISACs also provide platforms or portals where members submit and access real-time data.

Collaboration

ISACs facilitate a platform where members cooperate, share their experiences, and work together to tackle common challenges. No single entity can keep up with the vast and evolving cyber threat landscape. Collaboration ensures the pooling of resources, expertise, and experiences, allowing for a collective defense approach.

ISACs typically organize regular meetings, workshops, and conferences to promote member interaction. Online forums or platforms might also be provided for continuous collaboration.

(Learn about SURGe & The Threat Research Team, two Splunk teams who collaborate for security.)

Early warnings

One of the advantages of a collaborative approach is the ability to provide early warnings or alerts about emerging threats or ongoing campaigns. Organizations can prepare and protect themselves by receiving early warnings before a threat becomes widespread. This proactive approach significantly reduces potential damage.

Automated threat feeds, email alerts, or specialized reports disseminate early warnings to members. These warnings often include:

• Details of the threat
• Its indicators of compromise (IoCs)
• Initial mitigation steps

Best practices & benchmarks

ISACs work towards creating, refining, and promoting industry-specific practices, guidelines, and benchmarks to enhance cybersecurity. These standards and best practices provide members with a roadmap to achieve robust cybersecurity postures. Adhering to recognized benchmarks also assures stakeholders and customers about the organization’s cyber hygiene.

Committees or working groups within ISACs often develop these best practices based on member input, industry trends, and expert insights. Once formalized, they’re shared through publications, training sessions, or workshops. Some ISACs might also provide assessment tools or services to help members gauge their adherence to these benchmarks.

(Explore useful security metrics & KPIs.)

Sector-specific ISACs

ISACs are often industry- or sector-focused. Let’s look at the largest sector-based ISACs. Learn more from the National Council or ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.

FS-ISAC

The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center is designed to facilitate information sharing and collaboration among financial institutions to help protect them from cybersecurity threats. FS-ISAC is a platform specifically for:

• Banks
• Credit unions
• Insurance companies
• Investment firms
• Other financial services entities

With origins in the United States, FS-ISAC has expanded its reach globally, reflecting the interconnectedness of the financial industry worldwide. Members benefit from real-time alerts, analysis reports, and other critical intelligence feeds that help them respond to and mitigate emerging cyber threats. FS-ISAC organizes meetings, webinars, summits, and simulation exercises to enhance member preparedness and response capabilities.

Plus, it often partners with government agencies and regulators to bridge the gap between the private and public sectors regarding threat intelligence sharing and coordinated response efforts.

Its primary mission is to ensure trust and resilience for the global financial infrastructure. Given the potentially catastrophic consequences of significant cyber incidents, organizations like FS-ISAC are pivotal in fostering a culture of cooperation and collective defense.

(Learn about financial crime risk management.)

Health-ISAC

The Health Information Sharing & Analysis Center (or H-ISAC) is similar in concept to FS-ISAC but dedicated to the healthcare sector. Its main goal is to support and promote protecting critical health information and infrastructure from both cyber and physical threats.

H-ISAC offers a platform for healthcare organizations — hospitals, health insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and related entities — to share information. Their focus here is life and death: the healthcare sector represents a critical infrastructure where disruptions have direct life-threatening consequences.

Health-ISAC focuses on enhancing the resilience and security of this vital sector. Members of H-ISAC can:

• Receive timely alerts, analysis reports, and other vital threat intelligence.
• Get various resources, including best practices, tools, training sessions, and workshops.

Health-ISAC collaborates with government agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to health sector security. Beyond sharing threat intelligence, it also plays a vital role in raising awareness about cybersecurity challenges in the healthcare sector and advocates for policies and practices that strengthen security.

IT-ISAC

The Information Technology-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC) is a diverse community of companies that leverage information technology and collaborate to share relevant, actionable cyber threat information, effective security policies, and practices for the benefit of all members.

Established in 2000, IT-ISAC members include over 120 technology companies from the IT, Food and Agriculture, and Election industries.

MS-ISAC

The Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center, or MS-ISAC, is a component of the Center for Internet Security. (CIS is a non-profit organization that focuses on enhancing public and private sector entities' cybersecurity posture and cyber defense. Their 18 CIS controls are especially popular.)

The MS-ISAC is dedicated to improving the overall cybersecurity capabilities of state, local tribal, and territorial (STLL) governments. It provides a centralized resource for these governments to communicate and collaborate on cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and best practices. Through the MS-ISAC, members share information, receive threat alerts, and access various cybersecurity resources tailored for SLTT entities.

What is MS-ISAC Incident Response? The MS-ISAC provides incident response services tailored explicitly for governments. Key elements include:

• Notification and reporting
• Incident analysis
• Guidance and recommendations
• Coordination
• Threat intelligence sharing
• Forensics and advanced support
• Collaboration with other entities

Unifying industries: The power of collaboration in cyber defense

ISACs have emerged as one of the most crucial defenses in the evolving landscape of cyber threats. Entities like FS-ISAC, Health-ISAC, and MS-ISAC epitomize the importance of such cooperative efforts, offering tailored platforms to help them meet modern cyber challenges.

These ISACs provide real-time threat intelligence and foster a community of shared learning, resources, and best practices. Their collaborative approach ensures that industries, despite being prime targets for cyber adversaries, continuously strengthen their defenses and adapt to new challenges.

The success of ISACs underscores a broader lesson for all sectors and industries: in the face of sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, unity and collaboration are more effective than isolated efforts. By pooling resources, sharing intelligence, and fostering a culture of collective defense, industries are better poised to protect their critical infrastructures and the communities they serve.

In an interconnected digital world, the strength of one can indeed fortify the security of many.