NEC joins US Department of Homeland Security "AIS" Initiative for Sharing Cyber Threat Indicators

NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE

AIS enables the swift sharing of indicators on threats from cyber attacks (such as IP addresses, domain names, sender addresses of phishing emails) between the United States Federal Government and private companies and organizations in the United States and abroad. This is accomplished via the information system provided by the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) under the umbrella of the DHS. Threat indicators are shared in Structured Threat Information eXpression STIX)format, which enables a threat from the latest cyber attack to be swiftly identified, preventing the damage of a particular threat from spreading. Currently, more than 100 organizations have joined AIS, and NEC is the first company in Japan to participate in the initiative.

Damage from sophisticated cyber attacks on government organizations and private companies worldwide are increasingly widespread and severe, and the strengthening of cross field security countermeasures through cooperation between the public and private sectors is becoming ever more important.

NEC is strengthening its cyber intelligence with the aim of predicting attacks from adversaries through a proactive approach to cyber security that emphasizes information and speed. NEC will bolster the security countermeasures of its information systems by utilizing threat information obtained from AIS. The company will also investigate how to effectively apply threat information in its state of the art security products and services, including the company's "Cyber Security Factory" security monitoring service, which acts as the core hub that supports the introduction and operation of cyber attack countermeasures, as well as in the development of human resources.

NEC is contributing to the STIX format specification design and to the promotion of its widespread use by participating in the Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) Technical Committee of an international standards body, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS).

"As part of NEC's focus on the Solutions for Society businesses, we are reinforcing the safety business as one of the pillars of our global growth strategy, including cyber security. Going forward, NEC will continue to contribute to the realization of a safe, secure, and affluent society by delivering initiatives, products, and services that bolster security countermeasures," said Kozo Matsuo, General Manager, Cyber Security Strategy Division, NEC Corporation.