CSIRT OU has obtained TF-CSIRT accreditation

A few days ago, the CSIRT OU (University of Ostrava’s Computer Security Incident Response Team) obtained "Accredited" status from the international organization TF-CSIRT, which brings together CSIRT teams from many countries worldwide. In the Czech Republic, it is only the third accredited team among the academic teams (the current two are: CSIRT-MU - currently already certified and CESNET-CERTS). From the point of view of CSIRT teams of Czech universities, the University of Ostrava (UO) becomes only the second such accredited team after Masaryk University in Brno.

The accreditation process verifies that the CSIRT team meets the set standards and has the knowledge and procedures to deal with cyber security incidents. The evaluation process itself took about a month, but the work that preceded the accreditation itself took several years. It was necessary to set up processes not only from a technical point of view but mainly from an organizational and administrative point of view. Accreditation is undoubtedly a great success for CSIRT OU and the entire University of Ostrava. Membership in the TF-CSIRT at the accreditation level will give the CSIRT OU access to valuable information, materials, specific know-how, support research, and facilitate cooperation and exchange of information with other member CSIRTs consisting of universities, organizations, government agencies and companies from all over the world, but especially from the rest of Europe.

Several people with a high level of commitment were involved in the whole process. The Department of Informatics and Computers and the Center of Information Technologies have the most significant credit for the establishment and functioning of the CSIRT OU, whose employees, together with the Data Protection Officer, also form the team itself. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in building the CSIRT OU, as well as in raising the level of cyber security at the University of Ostrava and awareness of the safe use of UO systems and networks among staff and students. The CSIRT OU will continue to be very active in this area.

Updated: 10. 09. 2021