Definition[]
The CERT Coordination Center (CERT®/CC) is
| “ | a center of Internet security expertise at the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center operated by Carnegie-Mellon University.[1] | ” |
Overview[]
It was established in 1988 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Center is charged with (1) establishing a capability to quickly and effectively coordinate communication among experts to limit the damage associated with, and respond to, computer-based incidents; (2) conducting research into the prevention of security incidents; and (3) building awareness of security issues across the Internet community.
In this role, CERT/CC:
- receives from and provides to system and network administrators, technology managers, and policy makers Internet security-related information and
- provides guidance and coordination for responding to major Internet security events, such as the Melissa virus and Year 2000 conversion challenge.
The Center attempts to be an unbiased and trusted source of information, in part by providing trend and composite information only, by deleting information that would allow victims to be identified, and by coordinating the response information it provides with academic, government, and corporate experts. CERT/CC works with US-CERT to coordinate defense against and response to cyberattacks.
Through this collaboration, CERT/CC has developed a distributed model for incident response teams. It also provides leadership in the response team community by assisting organizations in developing their own emergency response capabilities.