Space ISAC and National Cybersecurity Center Announce MITRE Joining Kratos Defense, Booz Allen Hamilton as ISAC Founding Member
New Information Sharing and Analysis Center Adds New Founding Member to Board
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, [August 26, 2019] – Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) and National Cybersecurity Center (NCC), a national non-profit for cybersecurity influencers jointly announced the launch of Space ISAC on April 8, 2019, during a classified session at the 35th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO. Today, the organizations announced MITRE will become the Space ISAC’s newest founding member, joining Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) and Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH). Scott Kordella, MITRE’s Executive Director for Space, will serve on the Space ISAC board of directors.
The Space ISAC is the only space-dedicated ISAC and is made possible through the investment by its board and founding members. MITRE joins as an integral player with significant expertise in safety, security, and reliability of space systems, with a focus on information management and decision support for both government and commercial assets.
NCC is recognized as a leader in cybersecurity and brings together leaders from across the globe at its annual Cyber Symposium. Together, NCC and the Space ISAC serve cyber influencers from the commercial sector, academia, government, and military and empower people to secure commercial, international, and military space communications from attacks on our global space assets. They are jointly building a research and development capability, cybersecurity training curriculum, and an analysis portal. With the addition of the Space ISAC, NCC is offering training on secure GPS and will be hosting a dialogue on the importance of international and commercial satellites on military communication at the Cyber Symposium. NCC also offers initial training, information sharing, and analysis portal to founding members.
ISAC Explainer
ISACs are sector-specific, member-driven organizations stood up by the commercial sector with support from the federal government to collect, analyze, and disseminate all- hazards, actionable threat and mitigation information to asset owners, operators, and members.
Need for Space ISAC
The need for a Space ISAC was conceived by the Science & Technology Partnership Forum in 2017 in response to recognized information sharing gaps within the cybersecurity and space community. The Forum’s goal was to enhance the community’s ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats; disseminate timely information; and serve as the primary communications channel for the sector with respect to this information. The Forum shared this vision at the 34th Space Symposium in April 2018.
White House National Security Council Spokesman Garrett Marquis said of the Space ISAC’s formation, “This Administration strongly supports the formation of private- sector driven information sharing and analysis centers. The new Space ISAC aims to help gather, analyze, and disseminate critical cyber threat information related to space among the Federal, commercial, and international community and advances the 2018 National Cyber Strategy’s priority to enhance space cybersecurity.”
The White House’s National Cyber Strategy, published September 23, 2018, states that “the Administration will enhance efforts to protect our space assets and support infrastructure from evolving cyber threats,” while working “with industry and international partners to strengthen the cyber resilience of existing and future space systems.” Locating the Space ISAC at the NCC means Space ISAC members will have access to Colorado’s space and cybersecurity ecosystems within the commercial and defense sectors and to the talents of the premier higher education institutions developing cybersecurity engineers.
To facilitate the Space ISAC’s origination and organization as the founding member, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) has coordinated the organizational planning and federal government charter, funded the ISAC startup costs, and developed the operational plan for the Space ISAC. Kratos will continue to provide leadership within the Space ISAC and will recruit other industry-focused companies and organizations to build a robust Space ISAC membership.
Going Forward
Erin Miller of the National Cybersecurity Center, said, “We’re delighted to have MITRE bring their cybersecurity expertise to the Space ISAC and provide vision as a founding board member to respond to threats to the ever-growing space market sector.”
The initial founders of Space ISAC serve as board members. Each board member has a role in fulfilling the mission of the ISAC. The mission to facilitate collaboration across the global space industry to enhance our ability to prepare for and respond to vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats; to disseminate timely and actionable information among member firms; and to serve as the primary communications channel for the sector with respect to this information.
As a not-for-profit organization, MITRE works in the public interest across federal, state, and local governments, as well as industry and academia. MITRE is working to improve the safety, security, and reliability of space systems, with a focus on information
management and decision support for both government and commercial assets. MITRE works with government agencies including the Department of Defense, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administration, helping bridge the gap between government entities and their industry partners to develop and demonstrate new space capabilities.
“For more than four decades, we’ve worked with public and private sector partners to adopt effective new concepts and apply solutions in awareness, residency, and threat- informed defense,” said Scott Kordella, MITRE’s Executive Director for Space. “We look forward to working with the Space ISAC to help make space operations safer for all users.”
NCC History
NCC is a member-driven national community of cyber influencers from government, academia, industry, and military conceived in 2016 and located in Colorado Springs, CO. The NCC provides cybersecurity leadership, services, training, and policy advisement and awareness for public officials, business executives, and the workforce. NCC’s support to the Space ISAC will create a public-private alliance to serve the commercial sector, academia, government, and military and empower people to secure commercial, international, and military space communications from attacks on our global space assets. NCC also leads a collaborative effort to use blockchain technology to develop a secure mobile voting app and offering blockchain training.
National Cybersecurity Center CEO Vance Brown said, “This intersection of space and cybersecurity represents a unique public-private partnership at the tip of the spear and is in perfect alignment with NCC’s vision to secure the world. The greatest threat to our space assets is our cyber interference. The NCC is uniquely qualified to facilitate the mitigation of cyber risks.”
About MITRE
MITRE’s mission-driven teams are dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. Through public-private partnerships and our federally funded R&D centers, we work across government to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of our nation. For more information about MITRE, please visit www.MITRE.org.
About Booz Allen Hamilton
For more than 100 years, military, government, and business leaders have turned to Booz Allen Hamilton to solve their most complex problems. As a consulting firm with experts in analytics, digital, engineering, and cyber, we help organizations transform. We are a key partner on some of the most innovative programs for governments worldwide and trusted by their most sensitive agencies. We work shoulder to shoulder with clients, using a mission-first approach to choose the right strategy and technology to help them realize their vision. With global headquarters in McLean, Virginia and more
than 80 offices worldwide, our firm employs more than 26,100 people and had revenue of $6.7 billion for the 12 months ending March 31, 2019. To learn more, visit www.BoozAllen.com. (NYSE: BAH)
About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.
Kratos develops and fields transformative, affordable technology, platforms and systems for United States National Security related customers, allies and commercial enterprises. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology for these industries are rapidly brought to market through proven commercial and venture capital backed approaches, including proactive research and streamlined development processes. Kratos specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/ warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training, and combat systems. For more information go to www.KratosDefense.com.
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