computer emergency response team (CERT)

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) was founded in 1988 by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) and, in conjunction with various sister organizations, has the task of collecting and publishing information about security aspects and incidents on the Internet.

CERT thus uncovers vulnerabilities on the Internet and describes them in detail. Other tasks include supporting the implementation of preventive measures to increase the security of systems and the preparation and provision of information on security-related incidents. In addition, the CERT Coordination Center supports the development of CERT activities in other countries.

In Germany, well-known manufacturing companies, carriers, providers and the Federal Office for Information Security( BSI) work together in CERT. German CERT activities are based in the German Research Network( DFN).

In cloud computing, CERT teams safeguard the functioning of data centers and use security mechanisms to ensure the availability ofdata and applications.