The Commercial Information Sharing Program, or CISP, is a program that allows private companies to share information about cybersecurity threats with each other and with the government.
In the ever-evolving landscape of drone technology, the Commercial Information Sharing Program (CISP) has emerged as a vital initiative that bridges the gap between commercial entities and public sector intelligence or security organizations.
CISP functions as a secure framework where manufacturers, software developers, and service providers can share flight plans, real-time location data, and threat information, fostering a cooperative environment that supports the safe and scalable integration of drones into the airspace.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), often through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), oversees CISP efforts in the United States. This program allows government analysts to identify threat patterns such as coordinated cyberattacks or infrastructure breaches, thereby preventing potential disruptions and boosting regional airspace security.
Real-time data exchange among commercial drone operators and regulatory bodies is a cornerstone of CISP. This shared information improves situational awareness and coordinated responses to potential risks or intrusions, ensuring a high level of safety and operational efficiency.
Threat detection through collaborative analysis is another key aspect of CISP. By analysing flight anomalies and cybersecurity threats, CISP can potentially leverage swarm intelligence and secure communication protocols to identify and mitigate threats to UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) operations.
One example of a related system is the FAA-approved UTM (Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management) platform, which requires operators to digitally share flight plans and live locations to enable automated collision avoidance and large-scale drone traffic management.
CISP significantly reduces the time between detection and mitigation while promoting collective vigilance across the drone industry. It enforces strict security protocols, with shared data encrypted, anonymized when necessary, and protected under nondisclosure agreements and federal data handling standards.
Participating in CISP offers benefits such as early access to threat intelligence and improved standing for federal contracts or advanced operational permissions. It is particularly valuable for organizations involved in critical infrastructure surveillance, urban air mobility development, commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, drone hardware and software design, and more.
A practical example of CISP in action is Ohio’s NEOFIX, an initiative that aims to scale data sharing across regions and states while maintaining security, privacy, and public safety standards. This initiative demonstrates how commercial, public safety, and governmental entities cooperate to develop a nationwide, cost-effective digital airspace information sharing system, which is crucial for commercial drone operations.
In summary, CISP in the drone industry works by enabling trusted, real-time sharing of operational data and threat intelligence across operators and regulators, employing collaborative technologies and security protocols to support safe drone traffic management and enhance detection of safety and cybersecurity threats. CISP is voluntary, but participating offers numerous benefits that can significantly contribute to the security and efficiency of drone operations.
Cybersecurity and data-and-cloud-computing play essential roles in the CISP program, as the program employs secure communication protocols and enforces strict security protocols for shared data, ensuring encrypted, anonymized, and protected data exchanges.
Moreover, threat detection through collaborative analysis in CISP could leverage swarm intelligence and data sharing to bolster the cybersecurity of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), ultimately securing the digital airspace and improving operational efficiency.
