How Membership Works

REN-ISAC membership is open to colleges/universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and the UK. It is also open to teaching hospitals, research and education network providers, and government-funded research organizations within the United States. For a modest annual fee (see our Fee Structure), membership allows an institution to participate in a unique, active trust community, where we share threat intelligence, best practices, mitigation techniques, recommended response actions, and much more. Our members are willing to share because they respect the privacy of information being shared.

Membership is tied to the institution. Each member institution must have a Management Representative (typically a CIO, CISO, or someone of high ranking with IT Security in their portfolio). The Management Rep is our point of contact for billing, administrative issues, and is responsible for nominating Member Representatives. Each member institution must have at least one Member Representative. The Member Reps are the folks with hands-on operational security (OpSec) responsibilities, including intrusion detection/monitoring, incident response, identity management, risk assessment, and other aspects of the profession involved in protecting the institution from cyber threats. It is the Member Reps who will participate in the trust community. Learn more about Member Types.

Becoming a Member Rep is not automatic. It requires a nomination by the member institution's Management Rep. That nomination is then vetted by the trust community to determine if the nominee meets eligibility criteria. If, after 6 business days, there are no objections, the nominee is then granted member benefits. This process is how we maintain a trust community. The current Member Reps have confidence that new members understand the high value we place on privacy, trust, and sharing.

If you are considering joining REN-ISAC, we recommend that you read the following documents. They provide some important context to who we are, what we do, and the rules and guidelines we live by.

Our Membership Guide
Our Terms & Conditions
Our Information Sharing Policy
Our Fee Guide
Our Charter

Click here when you are Ready to Join