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U.S. Department of Transportation and Association of American Railroads recently enhanced AAR's Information and Sharing Analysis Center (ISAC) to create Surface Transportation Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ST ISAC).
AAR late last year formed ISAC, which is responsible for monitoring threats to the railroads' Web sites and disseminating alerts to member roads, as well as passing security-related information onto railroads and various government agencies. To operate the center, AAR contracted EWA Information and Infrastructure Technologies Inc., which also will run ST ISAC.
ST ISAC is charged with improving security for owners and operators of transportation infrastructure. The center would collect, analyze and distribute to transportation-company members critical vulnerability and threat information — both physical and cyber.
ST ISAC also would coordinate infrastructure-security efforts with Transportation Information Operations Center, a 24/7 operation USDOT is developing to serve as an information conduit and intermodal link between Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the transportation industry and other federal agencies.
"ST ISAC will help ensure that intrusions on transportation information technology — such as viruses and attacks — do not disrupt the nation’s transportation operations," said Mineta in a prepared statement.
AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger believes ST ISAC is a natural extension of the industry’s Terrorism Risk Analysis and Security Management Plan that the association implemented shortly after Sept. 11.