Using today's Internet technology and preparing for tomorrow's business world give new challenges for protecting the different aspects of business information and processes: evolving technology, legal and regulatory issues, communications, and the underlying financial returns. New architectures and software complicate maintaining assurance that systems do what they are supposed to do without introducing their own problems. Data protection and privacy regulations are globally diverse, complex, and still evolving, as are corporate governance regulations - even without regulation, expectations of achieving higher protection standards are rising. Direct interaction with partners and customers increases communication risks to business systems and data. And yet, businesses need to achieve substantial economic benefits from new initiatives, without spending too much.

Managing the security risks to business information inherent in today's networked environment can strain the knowledge and capabilities of any company's information security staff. Regardless of size or stature, many companies find it increasingly difficult to independently develop, implement, and maintain a cost-effective, world-class security program.

To help organizations address their critical security issues, in 1986 SRI International® (formerly Stanford Research Institute) created the International Information Integrity Institute® (I-4®) as a multi-client membership program. I-4 continues today as the preeminent information security membership organization world-wide. I-4 works with its members to explore relevant security-related issues and identify costeffective, practical solutions that successfully balance risks against costs of control or mitigation. I-4's longevity is derived from the collaboration with its membership: a select group of trustworthy, industry-leading individuals and their organizations that gather on a reoccurring basis to share their strategies, ideas, experiences, and expertise on managing information-related business risks in a mutually-respected nondisclosure environment. The key is leveraging other organizations' expertise for the members' benefit - drawing value from like-minded companies with plans and experiences complementing the members' own, in addition to industry experts, consultants, and vendors with strategic vision.

Benefits

I-4 fosters confidentiality; its members can safely share their security concerns with one another, and learn how others have successfully resolved their own challenges.

Industry and geographic diversity of members ensures a wide range of challenges are represented, with a binding thread of shared global interests.

The program's access to major research centers, such as the CERT® Coordination Center (CERT/CC) at Carnegie Mellon University, and Royal Holloway University of London gives members insight into developing security issues and resolutions.

Member representatives gain insight into current and emerging issues through participation in Forums and Regional Meetings, and they return to their companies to share newly gained knowledge with their colleagues. Overall, members gain a high return on investment on their
membership compared to internally researching, proposing, and testing the ideas obtained from I-4's meetings and its other deliverables.

The I-4 Approach

With more than 18 years of experience and growth, I-4 continues to deliver the value of collective knowledge and experience needed by its members in several ways.

I-4 Forums
Three times a year, I-4 holds a three- to four-day conference where I-4 members and invited experts present and discuss new ideas and contrarian views, and hold informal discussions about all aspects of leading-edge information risk management and protection.

Subjects range from the implications of new technologies, to the intricacies of global personal data privacy implementation, to effective security program management. Each member company is encouraged to send up to three representatives to each Forum to learn, to share, and to establish trust relationships with other members who also have valuable information to impart.

Regional Meetings
These shorter, 1-day sessions are held five or six times a year in the United States, Europe, and Asia. These meetings provide opportunities to explore critical topics in greater depth than at the Forum and also encourage participation by additional technical and management personnel from member organizations.

The topics covered may be part of an I-4 research project, the exploration of a new critical issue, or a follow-up discussion of a Forum topic.

Member Queries
Member companies can post queries to the membership at large for advice or confirmation of direction on issues ranging from policy approaches, to training, and technology selection. The results are analyzed and shared in a monthly I-4 newsletter. Members frequently provide specific details, either in their responses or in direct conversations with other members, which often include information they would be unlikely to share in any public medium.

Reports and Projects
To keep members aware of breaking developments, the I-4 program issues at least six reports a year on key issues in security technology and management, some developed by Getronics security experts and others developed in conjunction with I-4 members or obtained from I-4 alliance partners.

I-4 research projects usually focus on analyzing member approaches to critical security areas as prioritized in conjunction with the elected Member Advisory Committee. These comparative information projects are a more effective approach than drawn-out formal benchmarking, delivering value quickly to participants and the membership as a whole.

In addition, all written materials produced by I-4 are posted on a secure I-4 Members-only Website for easy, but confidential, access to, search and retrieval by, authorized individuals in member organizations.

Click here to view the Application Form

Click here to view the I-4 Value

Click here to view the I-4 Brochure

Click here to view the I-4 Handbook

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For More Information About I-4, Contact:

I-4 Contact: Linda M Stutsman, CISSP I-4 Managing Director CompuCom Tel: +1 704 545 1559 E-mail: Linda.Stutsman@CompuCom.com https://www.i4online.com