In an unprecedented move, the top five US cloud service providers (CSPs) have joined forces to collaborate on a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing national cybersecurity intelligence. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Oracle are part of the National Cyber Feed Initiative, a key priority of the Cloud Safe Task Force (CSTF) established by MITRE, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC), and the IT Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC).
The goal of this public-private partnership is to create a unified, comprehensive view of the nation’s security landscape. The CSTF recognized the critical need for a more proactive and real-time threat intelligence strategy. Currently, government agencies like the Department of Defense receive delayed threat feeds from CSPs, highlighting the urgency for a more dynamic and actionable approach.
As discussions progress, challenges around sharing data without compromising competition, compliance, or data security are being addressed. Microsoft’s director of federal digital security and risk, John Bergin, emphasized the importance of establishing a common data-sharing framework while navigating associated complexities.
Furthermore, ensuring the interoperability and standardization of data across different platforms is crucial. Major Julian Petty of the US Army Cyber Command stressed the necessity for a unified data approach with consistent tagging, logging, and retention standards. This harmonization will enable seamless data consumption and analysis across various tools and systems.
The conversation also delved into the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing threat detection and response. MITRE’s cloud security capability leader, Mari Spina, advocated for continuous testing and predictive threat modeling to combat evolving adversarial tactics effectively.
Overall, stakeholders remain optimistic about the progress of the CSTF’s cyber feed initiative. Dave Powner of MITRE noted the mutual benefits for both government agencies and CSPs in sharing anonymized, aggregated threat data. The collaborative effort seeks to bridge existing gaps in threat intelligence and strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity posture.
