Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Obama Administration Outlines National Information Sharing Strategy

    By
    Brian Prince
    -
    December 20, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The Obama administration is releasing details of its approach to facilitating better sharing of national security information between agencies and authorized parties.

      The president on Dec. 19 released the National Strategy for Information Sharing and Safeguarding (NSISS), which is meant to provide guidance for developing policies, processes and standards to promote secure information sharing between government agencies and between the government and authorized individuals.

      Information sharing has been at the center of the debate about cyber-security legislation, with some worrying that privacy rights will be trampled while others express concern that the sharing of threat information is often only one-way, with companies doing the sharing.

      “At the end of the day, we have to understand that cyber-criminals are coordinating their efforts and are well-versed in sharing vulnerabilities and attack methodologies,” said Torsten George, vice president of worldwide marketing, products and support for Agiliance, a risk management solutions vendor. “To counter them, government and the private sector must work hand-in-hand to quickly disseminate information about threats.”

      Though not specifically about the challenges the country is facing in cyberspace, the document notes that differences in policies and technologies prevent authorized users from gaining access to critical resources and information on disparate networks and creates barriers across agencies and departments. In addition, increased information sharing requires advanced correlation and analytic capabilities.

      Efforts to address these issues are under way, according to the document.

      “It is a national priority to efficiently, effectively, and appropriately share and safeguard information so any authorized individual … can prevent harm to the American people and protect national security,” the document states. “The Strategy points toward a future in which information supports national security decisionmaking [sic] by providing the right information, at any time, to any authorized user, restricted only by law or policy, not technology; and where safeguarding measures, to include a comprehensive regimen of accountability, prevent the misuse of the information.”

      The strategy encompasses five overall goals: improving discovery and access through common standards; driving collective action collaboration and accountability; optimizing mission effectiveness through shared services and interoperability; strengthening information safeguarding through structural reform, policy and technical solutions; and protecting privacy and civil rights through consistency and compliance.

      To accomplish those goals, the document lays out some of the actions the government needs to undertake. For example, to improve discovery and access through standards, the document recommends improving identity and authentication controls, as well as encouraging data-level tagging as a way to ensure data can be shared securely.

      “Most information authorization models are limited to access controls defined and enforced at the network or application-level, rather than at the data-level using inherent characteristics of specific information resources,” according to the document. “As networks are consolidated and shared services are adopted, access controls must be applied on the data itself, using ‘tags.’”

      The document also lists the top five priorities of the Administration in regards to the strategy:

      • aligning information sharing and safeguarding governance to foster better decision making, performance, accountability and implementation of the Strategy’s goals;
      • developing guidelines for information sharing and safeguarding agreements to address common requirements, including privacy, civil rights and civil liberties, while still allowing flexibility to meet mission needs;
      • adopting metadata standards to facilitate federated discovery, access, correlation, and monitoring across federal networks and security domains;
      • extending and implementing the Federal Identity, Credential and Access Management (FICAM) road map across all security domains; and
      • implementing removable media policies, processes and controls; providing timely audit capabilities of assets, vulnerabilities and threats; establishing programs, processes and techniques to deter, detect and disrupt insider threats; and sharing the management of risks to enhance unclassified and classified information safeguarding efforts.

      “This Strategy makes it clear that the individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of United States persons must be—and will be—protected,” President Barack Obama wrote in the document’s introduction. “Our national security depends on sharing the right information with the right people at the right time. We will therefore keep working to maintain an environment in which information is shared in a manner that is responsible, seamless, and secure.”

      Brian Prince

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×