Security companies are joining together with the US
government to develop a central database that will rate internet
threats to national infrastructure.
Plans for a common vulnerability scoring system were unveiled at
last week’s RSA security conference in San Francisco, and the
scheme has the support of Cisco, Microsoft, Symantec, Qualys and
eBay.
The new system forms part of a project run by the US National
Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC), which is looking to develop
a global early warning system for disclosing information about
internet threats.
Of particular concern to the NIAC, part of the US Department of
Homeland Security, are threats to transportation, banking, energy
and manufacturing. A key part of the new organisation’s task will
be in sorting out the major risks from the growing number of
lower-level threats.
The partners have not yet confirmed how and where the database
will be hosted.
Microsoft launched its own internet security warning system for
governments last month at a European Commission event.