IEEE-SA Forms Security Group to Address Computer Security Threats
August 31, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA) formed the Industry Connections Security Group (ICSG) to help combat the rise in computer security threats.
ICSG will work with security vendors, industry content contributors (such as banks and Internet service providers), educational institutions and government agencies in a forum for advancing the technologies, methodologies and best practices for sharing computer security information.
The group will develop, document and promote proposals for enhancing security toward the goal of producing consensus approaches and perhaps fueling new IEEE standards.
ICSG's first working group is focused on malware (malicious software such as viruses, worms and spyware).
Threats have increased from 125,000 unique pieces of malware in 2006 to 1.5 million in 2008 and 1.2 million in the first half of 2009, according to McAfee Avert Labs.
ICSG is working to establish ways of sharing malware samples and the information associated with them in a way that makes the security industry more effective.
"In the past few years, attackers have shifted away from the mass distribution of a small number of threats to micro distribution of millions of distinct threats," said Vincent Weafer, vice president, Symantec Security Response.
"This new data-sharing standard initiative, established under the umbrella of the IEEE Industry Connections Security Group, provides a framework for the development of new industry standards that enable the pooling of industry experience and resources and will have visibility and review by the wider academic and industry groups," he said.
ICSG is the first activity within the IEEE-SA Industry Connections program. More information on Industry Connections or the ICSG activity is available from IEEE
AVG Technologies, McAfee Inc., Microsoft Corp., Sophos, Symantec Corp. and Trend Micro are initial members of ICSG.
Source: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA).