Open Group Security Forum and ABA’s Cyberspace Law Committee issue whitepaper on information-centric security governance

The Open Group, a vendor- and technology-neutral consortium focused on open standards and global interoperability within and between enterprises, today announced the general availability of a new whitepaper about information security strategy. Co-written by The Open Group Security Forum and the American Bar Association’s Cyberspace Law Committee, the whitepaper presents a strategic framework for information-centric security governance. Additionally, the paper offers a methodology for security compliance both within and beyond the perimeter of the enterprise, and recommends further standards to support information security in a boundary-less environment.

Previously, securing ownership of proprietary information security was accomplished mainly through securing a physical ‘perimeter’ via network hardware and software technologies. The new realities of information access and use, based now on distributed relationships within and between enterprises that use a mix of proprietary and non proprietary information, require securing information and infrastructure access and flows beyond the perimeter. This new paradigm requires dynamic interaction of technologists, legal advisors, and business policy makers alike. The whitepaper is available for free download here.

US National Strategy for Homeland Security - October 2007

The US has released the latest document on the National Strategy for Homeland Security this month which has added emphasis on cyber security. The document can be found here.

A quote from the sidebar of that document is as follows:

"Cyber Security: A Special Consideration

Many of the Nation’s essential and emergency
services, as well as our critical infrastructure, rely
on the uninterrupted use of the Internet and the
communications systems, data, monitoring, and
control systems that comprise our cyber infra-
structure. A cyber attack could be debilitating to
our highly interdependent CI/KR and ultimately to
our economy and national security.

A variety of actors threaten the security of our
cyber infrastructure. Terrorists increasingly exploit
the Internet to communicate, proselytize, recruit,
raise funds, and conduct training and operational
planning. Hostile foreign governments have the
technical and financial resources to support
advanced network exploitation and launch attacks
on the informational and physical elements of our
cyber infrastructure. Criminal hackers threaten
our Nation’s economy and the personal informa-
tion of our citizens, and they also could pose a
threat if wittingly or unwittingly recruited by foreign
intelligence or terrorist groups. Our cyber net-
works also remain vulnerable to natural disasters.

In order to secure our cyber infrastructure against
these man-made and natural threats, our Federal,
State, and local governments, along with the pri-
vate sector, are working together to prevent dam-
age to, and the unauthorized use and exploitation
of, our cyber systems. We also are enhancing our
ability and procedures to respond in the event of
an attack or major cyber incident. The National
Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and the NIPP’s
Cross-Sector Cyber Security plan are guiding our
efforts. "