Microsoft Corp., along with the Research and Education Networking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (REN-ISAC), established in 2003 by Indiana University, announced a new alliance this week that will extend the reach of the Microsoft Security Cooperation Program (SCP) to include higher education institutions in its mission to enhance security measures worldwide. Under the agreement, Microsoft and the REN-ISAC will share information -- including that regarding vulnerabilities, exploits and fixes -- at a level of depth and detail that will help both parties become more proactive and responsive to issues affecting the global community. It also provides Microsoft a single point of contact with the REN-ISAC's growing membership, currently comprised of 500 individual members representing nearly 200 different institutions. "IU established REN-ISAC as a major component of broader efforts to improve information-technology security at colleges, universities and research facilities," said Mark Bruhn, executive director of REN-ISAC and associate vice president for telecommunications at Indiana University. "The center collects, analyzes and transmits critical security, early-warning and threat information to campus security officers, and also facilitates collaboration among higher education, industry and government. "Through this partnership, IU will not only become the direct beneficiary of the rich protection and response information shared with the REN-ISAC, but the university will serve as the path for this very important defense information to higher education as a whole," Bruhn said. As part of the agreement, lead IT security personnel from Indiana University will serve on a Microsoft analysis team, formed by REN-ISAC, which will act as a conduit for information sharing between the organizations. Members from Indiana University include Doug Pearson, technical director, REN-ISAC; Sean Krulewitch, deputy IT security officer; and Dave Monnier, principal security engineer, REN-ISAC. Other members of the team include personnel from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Colorado at Boulder and New York University. Additional information about REN-ISAC can be found at its Web site. Additional information about the Microsoft Security Cooperation Program in government can be found at its Web site.