APEC officials admitted difficulties in attracting acceptable applicants and in raising adequate funds to cover the cost of the project. Public Awareness Government and industry support for CSIRT programs (and financing) is closely linked to public awareness of the cyber-security problem and its potential impact on highly desirable development goals. If systems in one networked economy are not adequately protected, then the networks and infrastructures of all the interconnected economies are vulnerable. Participants in a network, whether as developer, owner, operator, or individual user, must be aware of the threats to and vulnerabilities of the network and assume responsibility for protecting that network according to their position and role. The Organization, working with Member States and CSIRTS, should undertake a public awareness program regarding cyber-security and cyber-ethics that emphasizes (1) the benefits and responsibilities of using information networks; (2) safety and security best practices; and (3) the potential negative consequences resulting from the misuse of networks. There are a number of organizations and on-line sites with useful information for this purpose; the Organization should take advantage of them. Extending the Network Although public awareness is an essential element of this proposal, establishing a regional CSIRT capability will require developing political commitments where they may not exist. The working group should propose a draft resolution on cyber-security for approval by the Committee on Hemispheric Security and transmission to the General Assembly for their approval, which commits Member States to establish CSIRTs in their territories and to implement such other recommendations the group may make and the Committee may approve. This will harness the Member States’ political will to achieve regional CSIRT coverage and provide the Organization with the institutional framework necessary to proceed. With this resolution in hand, the working group can assist individual states to develop specific plans and, assuming adequate funding, to develop capacity-building projects in the Member States. As of this moment, no state has offered to fund this project. Course of Action Action Item 1: Conduct a census to identify existing CSIRTS, their membership range, and the services they provide. This will allow us to identify coverage gaps, both geographically and sectorially, and will lay the groundwork for establishing a consensus set of services which member CSIRTs will offer. A notional census questionnaire is attached. Action Item 2: Establish a consensus for a minimum set of services that all member CSIRTs will offer. This will help shape a consistent, hemisphere-wide operating doctrine and provide the key for subsequent technical assistance activities. Action Item 3: Draft a resolution for submission to the CHS and GA calling on Member States to create CSIRTs and implement the other proposals contained in the working group report. Of the 11 non-US CSIRTs that are members of the FIRST network, six are government-run, four are private sector, and one is run by a university. Action Item 4: Produce a Best Practices compendium based on the consensus CSIRT services and standards, consistent with similar practices in Europe and Asia. These could include standards and protocols to undertake real-time monitoring and subsequent exchange of information throughout the network, and will become the basis of subsequent technical assistance and testing protocols.