Factors Critical to Successful Information Sharing

The organizations identified several critical success factors that they  viewed as essential to establishing, developing, and maintaining effective  information-sharing relationships, which could benefit critical  infrastructure protection efforts. All of the organizations agreed that trust had to be built over time and  through personal relationships, and they had taken various steps to  facilitate the process, such as the following:   Most held regular—bimonthly, quarterly, or annual—meetings or forums  to discuss issues and establish face-to-face contact. In addition, many organizations encouraged members to  subordinate individual or individual organizations’ interests to the  interests of the entire information-sharing group. These challenges included (1) initially establishing  and maintaining trust relationships, (2) developing agreements on the use  and protection of shared information, (3) obtaining adequate funding, (4)  developing and retaining a membership base, and (5) developing and  maintaining an organization staff with appropriate skills.
What GAO Found

Information sharing and coordination are key elements in any defense against cyber attacks. The organizations GAO reviewed identified factors they considered critical to their success in building successful information-sharing relationships with and among their members. All of the organizations identified trust as essential to successful relationships. They said that trust could only be built over time and through personal relationships. One of the most difficult challenges identified was the initial reluctance of new members to share information. Other challenges included (1) developing agreements on the use and protection of shared information, (2) obtaining adequate funding for websites and meetings while avoiding contributions intended primarily to promote the interests of an individual organization, (3) maintaining a focus on emerging issues of interest to members, and (4) maintaining appropriately skilled professional and administrative staff.