FIRST Drives Global Cybersecurity Progress Through Community-Led Innovation

December 5, 2024 - The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), a leading global cybersecurity non-profit, today announced a transformative year marked by its steadfast commitment to empowering its international community and developing robust security practices.

FIRST's membership, which now spans more than 755 teams from organizations like Google, CISA, Alibaba, CERT-IN, the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team, and the Japanese JPCERT Coordination Center, is a testament to the organization's reach and influence.

Recently, best practices that FIRST has endorsed and evolved over the years, such as the Traffic Light Protocol (TLP), were recognized by the White House, emphasizing the importance of trust and clear communication in cybersecurity partnerships.

“CISA’s success is achieved through robust trust-based voluntary partnerships. FIRST’s TLP marking is a critical tool we have used for years to conduct trusted information sharing,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “We will continue our close relationship with FIRST to advance usage of and bolster the TLP standard.

FIRST launched several strategic community-building initiatives in 2024 including:

• New Special Interest Groups (SIGs) focusing on Law Enforcement, Digital Safety, and Transport and Mobility

• The FIRSTA4 initiative with the UK government to help CSIRTs develop actionable threat response playbooks

• Training partnerships across Costa Rica, Paraguay, Chile, and Dominica with the Organization of American States (OAS) and CSIRT Americas

• Enhanced collaboration with leading cybersecurity organizations like the Common Good Cyber initiative and Global Cyber Alliance

“Expanding our community is crucial in our mission to combat cyber threats effectively,” said Klee Aiken, Director of Community & Capacity Building at FIRST. “Our focus on facilitating stronger partnerships and knowledge exchange among security teams worldwide is a significant step forward in our journey towards a safer digital future.”

Extending Global Reach

FIRST hosted more than 14 events in 2024, culminating in a record-breaking year of attendance, specifically at their annual event, FIRSTCON, that took place this year for the first time in Fukuoka, JP.

Additionally, FIRST just held the 2024 FIRST & AfricaCERT Symposium in Zambia. Co-hosted by AfricaCERT, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), the symposium provided a crucial platform for security professionals across Africa and the Arab regions to exchange best practices in protecting Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) against evolving cyber threats.

"The remarkable turnout and depth of expertise shared across our events in 2024 underscore the vital role of international collaboration in our fight against cyber threats," said Chris Gibson, CEO of FIRST. "As we face increasingly sophisticated attacks, the continued insights will shape our collective defense."

Looking Ahead

FIRST remains dedicated to fostering collaboration and trust within the cybersecurity community now and in the future. “The FIRST Board is actively working on planning strategically towards the continued achievement of our mission and goals, to ensure stability, growth, and continued success in the future,” said Carlos Alvarez, FIRST Board Member lead on Strategy and Governance.

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