Reference no: EM133738966

Instruction

The private sector owns and operates an estimated 85% of infrastructure and resources that are critical to our nation's physical and economic security. It is vital for the IC to ensure it develops effective and efficient information sharing partnerships with private sector entities. Important sectors of private industry have made significant investments in research and development, and the infusion of new technologies to address cyber threats and to analyze massive amounts of information that could be valuable to the Intelligence Community.

The IC has made efforts to improve intelligence sharing with the private sector. For example, the ODNI recognized the importance of intelligence partnerships and designed the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) to facilitate the sharing, access and safeguarding of terrorism threat information. In another example, the DHS improved information sharing among Federal, State, and local government agencies with the private sector to detect, identify, and assess terrorist threats and vulnerabilities.

The IC's overall efforts to attain prescribed intra-governmental and public-private information sharing have been marginal due to a lack of concerted focus and appropriate priority. Developing new partnerships requires strong leadership, building trusting relationships, transparency, and respect for privacy.

This is no easy task for the IC or potential private sector partners. Consideration must be made for the development of strategies, policies, and procedures for risk assessment, information sharing management, protective measures, and clarified roles and responsibilities between the IC and private sector.

Make recommendations toward improving intelligence and information sharing that ensures the two- way flow of timely and actionable security information between the IC and private partners. Address any three of the following issues such as strategy, framework, mechanisms, processes, security, and communities of interest.