Defense Security Information Exchange formalized as named Information Sharing And Analysis Organization

Following President Obama’s signature of Executive Order 13961 on cyber intelligence sharing, the Defense Security Information Exchange (DSIE) announced on May 13 that it has officially incorporated as the Defense Industrial Base Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, the nation’s first organization named as an Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) since the release of the Executive Order.

The DSIE, which has been operating since 2008 as an industrial working group of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), is now a formal 501(c)(6) legal entity, and has appointed Carlos Kizzee as the organization’s new executive director.

Executive Order 13961 was enacted to encourage the voluntary formation of organizations to partner together and with the federal government to share information related to cybersecurity risks, enabling them to collaborate and respond to vulnerabilities in a timely manner. The executive order mandates that information sharing must be conducted in such a way that individual privacy and business confidentiality interests will be protected.

As the new DSIE Executive Director, Mr. Kizzee will lead the organization’s ongoing information sharing and collaboration efforts to secure industry information and communications technology infrastructure that are critical to national security and homeland defense. He will also manage an active membership base committed to advancing their collective maturity, capabilities and effectiveness in cybersecurity.

“Carlos Kizzee is a recognized, trusted, and respected subject matter expert in the cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection partnership areas among both government and industry,” said Wayne Boline, chairman of the board of directors of the DSIE. “His experience with the military and leading cybersecurity and information sharing efforts in the federal government are vital to this organization’s mission.”

Mr. Kizzee is a retired career Marine Corps Officer who formerly served as counsel for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.  He was a lawyer and an executive within the Department of Homeland Security where he oversaw cybersecurity as well as infrastructure protection programs. He also promoted effective threat information sharing as well as industry and government collaboration and coordination.  Mr. Kizzee most recently served as the vice president of Multi-Sector Initiatives for the Center for Internet Security.

The DSIE was established in February 2008 to share actionable and meaningful information on cybersecurity threats to industry among approximately twenty of the leading companies in the Defense Industrial Base, including founding members such as General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.

The relationships, communication and coordination established among the DSIE members has enabled the participants to quickly alert others in industry of ongoing threats and to share mitigation strategies for the protection of defense critical infrastructure vital to national security under their control.

The DSIE currently maintains membership among approximately 70 leading companies within the Defense Industrial Base and exists as a member-based cyber information sharing and collaboration body focused on protecting and defending defense industrial base critical cyber networks. The organization seeks to promote the maturity and development of Defense Industrial Base entities that participate within its framework through analyst driven information sharing and key relationships with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, NDIA and the National Council of ISACs.

Source: Defense Security Information Exchange