Microsoft Partners with REN-ISAC for Higher Ed Security
Microsoft and the Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (REN-ISAC) have entered into an alliance to expand Microsoft's Security Cooperation Program into higher education. The announcement came yesterday at the Educause/Internet2 Security Professionals Conference 2007 being held in Denver, CO.
The Microsoft Security Cooperation Program is an initiative of the Microsoft Security Response Alliance designed to foster cooperation in security efforts, according to Microsoft, in responding to incidents and mitigating "attacks" on IT infrastructure.
REN-ISAC is a cooperative effort of Louisiana State University, Educause, and Internet2 and is housed at Indiana University. Its purpose is to help improve network security in higher education and research institutions "through information collection, analysis, dissemination, early warning, and response."
The partnership between Microsoft and REN-ISAC calls for Microsoft to share security-related information with the organization through a newly formed "Microsoft analysis team," which will serve as a "conduit" between Microsoft and REN-ISAC. Microsoft will also receive feedback from the organization's participants.
"The fundamental goal of the REN-ISAC is to increase and improve the information that universities and colleges can use to enhance the security of their networks and systems," said Mark Bruhn, executive director of REN-ISAC and associate vice president for telecommunications at Indiana University. "This unique trust relationship with Microsoft will provide such an information source, from which we can impart important security and product information to our membership, and through which Microsoft will get input from real-life product experiences from typically complex campus technology environments."
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