Security Co-operations

The ACOnet CERT is engaged in the following working groups:

• ArgeSecur (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Security, "Security Working Group")
  This working group was formed in 2000 and consists of information security officers from all Austrian universities. It's goal is to further national co-operation and communication in security-related questions.
  
  
• ATC (Austrian Trust Circle)
  The ATC is a CERT.at project (see below) in co-operation with GovCERT.at and the Federal Chancellery. The Austrian Trust Circle is subdivided into six sections, i.e. Energy, Financial Services Industry, Health Care, Manufacturing Industry, Transport, and Telecommunications. The participants are mainly organizations and enterprises providing critical infrastructures of strategic importance in Austria. ATC meetings offer an opportunity to discuss various security-related topics in a confidential and non-competitive setting. The ACOnet CERT takes part in the Telecommunications section since 2015.
  
  
• Co-operation with CERT.at
  CERT.at is the national Austrian point of contact regarding IT security. It is networked with other CERTs and CSIRTs (Computer Security Incident Response Teams) dealing with critical infrastructure. It also publishes warnings, alerts and helpful hints for SME (small and medium enterprises). CERT.at was launched by the Austrian domain registry, nic.at.
  
  
• CERT Association Austria
  Since 2015, the national Austrian CERTs and CSIRTs co-ordinate their activities, thus forming an association of Austrian CERTs. The ACOnet CERT actively pursues technical and institutional meetings and exchanges of ideas and information.
  
  
• FIRST (Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams)
  is the international umbrella organization of security teams. It was formed in 1993 and has grown to more than 350 CERTs hailing from all the walks of information technology. It's members comprise network operators (such as the ACOnet CERT), software vendors (such as Microsoft Product Support Services Security Team), hardware vendors (for instance Cisco PSIRT), teams from the financial services industry (such as VISA CIRT) and from the research and education sector (for example SWITCH CERT), as well as national CERTs such as CERT.at. The ACOnet CERT has participated since its inception in April 2003.
  
  
• GÉANT special interest groups, task forces & security initiatives:
  
  • SIG-ISM (Special Interest Group - Information Security Management)
    The SIG-ISM, created under the umbrella of GÉANT, is a forum for supporting NRENs and infrastructures in their Information Security Management. It aims at building a trusted ISM community and exchanging experiences with (resp. promoting the use of) international security standards.
    
    
  • TF-CSIRT (Task Force - Collaboration of Security Incident Response Teams)
    is an international working group that was formed at the initiative of ACOnet, among others, to promote the inception of CERTs and to improve contacts among European security teams. TF-CSIRT deals with security issues and co-ordinates relevant activities in Europe.
    
    
  • TI (Trusted Introducer)
    is an unaffiliated entitiy that accredits CERTs on the basis of formal criteria. It ensures minimum standards regarding procedures and documentation practices of security teams and keeps information such teams up-to-date. Thus, it helps create a dependable Web of Trust. The ACOnet CERT was accredited by the Trusted Introducer in March, 2003.
    
    
  • TRANSITS (Training of Network Security Incident Teams Staff)
    was launched in 2002. It stages special training courses for CSIRTs, consisting of the following five modules: Organization, Operation of CSIRTs, Legal aspects, Technical aspects, and Dealing with security-related issues. This project is financially supported by ENISA, the European Union Agency for Network and Infomation Security.

• ISPA AG Security
  Internet Service Providers Austria (ISPA), an association of Austrian internet providers, has formed an internal working group on security-related issues. A number of ACOnet and ACOnet CERT staffers take part in this working group.