Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAO) Created by Congress to Strengthen Nation’s Cybersecurity Defenses

WASHINGTON, DC – May 25, 2017 – The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), today announced that it has become the first Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) for the digital advertising industry to register with the ISAO Standards Organization, a non-governmental organization established by Congress to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity defense through information sharing. As the only ISAO for the digital ad industry, TAG serves as the industry’s lead information sharing organization around threats, incidents, and best practices, particularly those related to ad-related malware, ad-supported piracy, ad fraud and associated threats.

“Information sharing is the mortar that bonds the individual efforts of hundreds of companies into a common barrier against the distribution of malware, viruses, and threats,” said Mike Zaneis, CEO of TAG. “TAG has worked closely with leading digital ad companies to create a Malware Threat Sharing Hub, a Data Center IP List of fraud threats and a compliance officer network so we can share near-real time intelligence on new and emerging threats with other companies and relevant law enforcement agencies. We are excited to coordinate our efforts with the ISAO Standards Organization to further improve our information-sharing systems and help protect our industry and its customers against criminal activity and other cybersecurity risks.”

TAG has created several threat-sharing resources for the digital advertising industry, including:

• TAG’s Malware Threat Sharing Hub, which allows select companies to share near real-time information about malware attacks through a central industry resource, so participating companies can update their anti-malware systems to protect against recent infections used in attacks on other companies and consumers;
• TAG’s Data Center IP List, which allows the industry to share information on known sources of non-human traffic. This tool is highly dynamic and has grown to more than 65 million IP addresses, helping TAG participants filter out fraudulent invalid traffic from the legitimate digital ad supply chain; and
• TAG’s network of compliance officers at member companies, offering a powerful tool to instantly disseminate information on new and emerging threats to hundreds of executives dealing with those issues at digital ad companies.

TAG provides information from its suite of threat-sharing resources to law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies to assist in their efforts to protect the nation and bring criminals to justice.

“Information sharing is a critical component to identifying and proactively responding to cybersecurity threats,” said Natalie Sjelin, ISAO SO Director of Support. “The information sharing community has grown tremendously over the past eighteen months. TAG’s efforts will continue to strengthen the digital advertising industry, allowing companies to protect themselves and their users from malware and other threats. We are delighted to welcome TAG into the ISAO community and look forward to a close and productive collaboration.”

TAG has also worked closely on its anti-malware, anti-piracy, and anti-fraud efforts with federal law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center.

“As digital threats grow, we all must continue to adapt and innovate. TAG has added yet another tool in the fight against fraud and exploitation in the digital realm,” said the FBI’s David Farquhar, a Deputy Director at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center. “TAG’s latest designation, and their ongoing efforts, continue to align with our national initiatives, and we are delighted to continue our partnership.”

About the ISAO Standards Organization
The ISAO Standards Organization is a non-governmental organization established on October 1, 2015. Its mission is to improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture by identifying standards and guidelines for robust and effective information sharing related to cybersecurity risks, incidents, and best practices.

About the Trustworthy Accountability Group
The Trustworthy Accountability Group was created to foster transformational improvement at scale across the digital advertising ecosystem, focusing on four core areas: eliminating fraudulent traffic, combating malware, fighting ad-supported Internet piracy to promote brand integrity, and promoting brand safety through greater transparency. For more information on TAG, please visit tagtoday.net.

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