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www.maritimeprofessional.com Maritime Professional 15 ly so, must be assured that the informa-tion they provide will not be used against them. Essentially, these issues are exactly why ISACs were proposed: Industry will create a valid and important layer within the national security structurethat can distill redundant and superflu-ous information flowing between gov- ernment and industry through expert analysis; provide a centralized reposito- ry of information that can maintain sus-tained lines of communication; andwork as a trusted agent between gov- ernment and industry, assuring both confidentiality and anonymity. ISAC FOR THE MARITIME ENVIRONMENTIt should be surprising therefore thatdespite the general understanding andacceptance throughout the maritimecommunity that prevention is more operationally effective than response and recovery, the maritime industry does not yet have a reliable, compre- hensive information sharing network. There is hesitation on both sides ? somewarranted, but most seems just territori- al. Admittedly, maritime transportation is a unique industry. It is international in scope, its boundaries are malleableand its impact on the global economy isunparalleled. There is more informa- tion to digest and more risk of informa-tion getting into the wrong hands. All the more reason to establish strongerbonds of cooperation and collaborationbetween industry and government ? there is so much more to lose. While the Maritime Security Councildoes indeed serve as a de facto Maritime ISAC, gathering information from open sources, analyzing specific maritime security issues, distributing the information to its membership, andrepresenting the maritime industry as amember of the National Council ofISACs, much more needs to be done. The maritime industry needs an ISAC with complete government support. This ?full service? Maritime ISAC will handle sensitive security information; provide real-time analytical support during incidents; offer trusted lines of communication; maintain a database ofworldwide port conditions; and analyze ? in a secure environment ? information gathered from all interested parties.Publilius Syrus, a writer from the 1stcentury BC wrote, "Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm" and Iwould suggest that an addendum to the quote could read ?but it is when the sea is restless that those most prepared willfind safety.? It is time for a ?full serv- ice? Maritime ISAC. The AuthorGreg Girard is Vice President of Communications & Operations for theMaritime Security Council and hasworked in the international maritimesecurity sector for the last decade. Heis editor of the Maritime InformationSharing & Analysis Center (MaritimeISAC) Alert, an open source and ana- lytical report distributed twice weekly to the MSC membership.MP #3 (1-17):MP Layouts 8/17/2011 8:32 PM Page 15
