Cyber project targets break-ins - FBI/Computer Security Institute report - Industry Trend or Event - Brief Article

Software Magazine, Nov, 1997 by Deborah Radcliff

A recent FBI/Computer Security Institute report found that only 16.9% of companies that detect network intrusions actually report them. The NYPD Computer Investigations and Technology unit puts the figure at 1%. "Unless required to, there are few incentives to report cyberintrusions," notes Alan Fedeli, a project team manager from IBM's Internet Emergency Response Team.

In an effort to encourage the reporting of computer crimes, a non-profit group known as the Manhattan Cyber Project (www.WarRoomResearch.com) is encouraging companies to think collectively about information security issues. The project's volunteer outreach team and 10-person staff, drawn from the business and vendor communities, conduct live forums, online chat sessions, and teleconferences to raise awareness of computer crimes.

Project members also offer free security policy evaluations, testing, and consulting, but businesses that opt for this service must agree to report security breaches to local law enforcement. Anonymous data from the testing results and policy evaluations will appear in the Cyber Project's security survey due in February. To date, 35 organizations have agreed to participate in the data collection.

The Cyber Project team also takes a proactive approach to security by visiting schools to teach the next generation that's "it's not nice to read someone else's E-mail," says Mark Gembicki, Cyber Project coordinator.