ecd@sei.cmu.edu (Edward DeHart) (06/06/89)
COMPUTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM COORDINATION CENTER In response to computer security related threats, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is creating a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to support research users of the Internet, which includes the Arpanet. A CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC) has been established at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) of Carnegie Mellon University. The mission of the CERT/CC is to supplement existing mechanisms by which informally organized experts deal with computer emergencies and their prevention. The CERT/CC provides a variety of services in the following general areas: provide a reliable, 24-hour single point of contact for security issues; maintain a secure repository of information for team members; facilitate communications during emergencies; maintain close ties with research activities in the area of trusted systems; initiate proactive measures to assist organizations in improving the security of their systems. A CERT BOF session will be held from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Wednesday, June 14 at the Hyatt Regency - Baltimore. During the session, members of the CERT/CC team will outline the mission and activities of the CERT/CC. The concept of CERT Associates, technical experts who volunteer to work with members of the CERT/CC when problems occur, will be presented for comment and consideration. Special emphasis will be placed on interacting with BOF attendees to identify and discuss issues and problems involved in dealing with computer emergencies and their prevention.