Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection

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The Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection
Founded	2001
Headquarters	Hanover, NH, USA
Key people	Martin N. Wybourne, I3P PI Charles C. Palmer, Chair and Director of Research Lauri Burnham, Communications Manager Patricia A. Erwin, Senior Assistant Director for Informatics Services Eric Goetz, Assistant Director for Research and Analysis
Focus	Computer security Critical infrastructure protection
Members	29
Website	www.thei3p.org

The Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P) is a consortium of national cyber security institutions, including academic research centers, government laboratories and non-profit organizations. It was founded in September 2001 to help meet a need for improved research and development (R&D) to protect the United States' information infrastructure against catastrophic failures. Its main role is to coordinate a national cyber security R&D program and help build bridges between academia, industry and government. It is funded by the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute for Standards and Technology.

1 Research Areas
2 Members
3 External links

[edit] Research Areas

The I3P coordinates and funds cyber security research to help secure US critical information infrastructures. In 2005 the Institute funded several multi-institutional research projects that targeted process control systems and the economics of cyber security. The research topics were selected through open dialogue within the Institute that considered gaps in national efforts, the criticality of the topic and the impact the I3P could have. Each project had a team leader with overall responsibility for the project, particularly for meeting milestones and producing deliverables.

[edit] Process Control Systems

The Process Control Systems Security Research Project focuses cyber security related research on improving the robustness of the information infrastructure in the oil and gas sector. Eleven institutions from across the country have joined forces to develop new solutions and demonstrate their effectiveness to the oil and gas sector owners, operators, and vendors.

[edit] Economics

The notion of levels of infrastructure guides the way the research is organized and coordinated. Information infrastructure security can be viewed from three perspectives: national, firm or enterprise, and technology. The national level views the information infrastructure as an element of national security, where cyber security incidents can disrupt, impair or destroy critical economic capabilities. The enterprise level considers the effects of degraded or destroyed infrastructure on the degree to which an enterprise can maintain its bottom line by developing and delivering products and services. The technology level addresses those technologies that protect the infrastructure, by deterring particular threats, preventing certain classes of attacks, or mitigating the consequences of attack.

[edit] Digital Commons

With funding from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the I3P began work on creating a digital commons of cyber security information, tools, and resources for researchers, librarians, students, and the public. The project, when completed, will identify resources in the broad area of information infrastructure protection. The suite of tools, services, and resources associated with the Digital Commons are free and open to the public. Some of the tools and services include: an international cyber security calendar, a cyber security organization directory and a cyber security glossary.