As information sharing legislation works its way through Congress, the private sector, in partnership with the Administration, is working toward an information-sharing infrastructure on a parallel track.
In February, an executive order by President Obama mandated the creation of a body that would set voluntary standards for Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs). In September, Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity and Communications at DHS, selected the University of Texas at San Antonio to lead an effort to create standards to facilitate the creation of ISAOs in the private sector.
On Monday, the ISAO Standards Organization held its first public meeting, which drew hundreds of attendees from both the private sector and government. The group will set up working groups for specific ISAOs and a second public meeting is scheduled for February 13, 2016 in San Antonio.