WASHINGTON, D.C., June 4, 2019 – The National Council of Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (NCI) today announced the addition of its newest member, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (EI-ISAC®).
Since starting in 2018, the EI-ISAC evolved from an idea to a formalized collective of dedicated election officials, their staff members, associations, technology vendors, federal partners, and cybersecurity experts who work tirelessly to help secure the U.S. elections infrastructure. From sharing threat landscape information, to creating educational opportunities and implementing technical cybersecurity controls, the EI-ISAC’s members and staff do everything they can to ensure the security and integrity of our elections.
The EI-ISAC was conceived as a means of leveraging the many capabilities and the infrastructure of the Multi-State ISAC® (MS-ISAC®). Both the MS-ISAC and EI-ISAC benefit by operating under the auspices of CIS® (Center for Internet Security, Inc). This allows them to work together to educate and protect U.S. state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
The EI-ISAC is a voluntary and collaborative effort based on a strong partnership between CIS, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Election Infrastructure Subsector Government Coordinating Council.
“NCI is excited to have the EI-ISAC as a member, and we look forward to its representatives participating in NCI’s cross-sector information sharing activities,” said NCI Chair Denise Anderson. “The Election Infrastructure is a newly designated critical infrastructure sector that provides immense value to the elections process and we are excited to welcome them into our NCI community.”
“We are excited to join the National Council of ISACs. I look forward to us working with the wider ISAC community to bring every resource available to help strengthen our electoral processes and our nation’s overall cyber defense,” said Ben Spear, EI-ISAC Director.
“With the formal establishment of the Elections Infrastructure ISAC and designation of elections as a critical infrastructure subsector, it is appropriate that the EI-ISAC also participate in the National Council of ISACs. We look forward to a mutually beneficial exchange of information with the other members of NCI regarding cyber threats and effective ways to counter these threats,” said CIS President and CEO John Gilligan.
The NCI serves as a forum for sharing physical and cyber threat and response information across sectors and as a gateway for federal agencies and other partners to reach the ISAC community. Established by the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors, ranging from airlines to water utilities, ISACs support a majority of U.S. private critical infrastructure with threat information and analysis, mitigation resources, and other services. The NCI also has an operational role following incidents of national significance. Many ISACs also support sectors in other countries. With the EI-ISAC, the NCI has 25 members.
About NCI
Sector-based Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) collaborate and coordinate with each other via the National Council of ISACs (NCI). Formed in 2003, the NCI today comprises 25 organizations designated by their sectors as their information sharing and operational arms.
The NCI is a true cross-sector partnership, providing a forum for sharing cyber and physical threats and mitigation strategies among ISACs and with government and private sector partners during both steady-state conditions and incidents requiring cross-sector response. Sharing and coordination is accomplished through daily and weekly calls between ISAC operations centers, daily reports, requests-for-information, monthly meetings, exercises, and other activities as situations require. The NCI also organizes its own drills and exercises and participates in national exercises. For more information, visit https://www.nationalisacs.org/
Contacts
National Council of ISACs
EI-ISAC Media Inquiries