The Commercial Information Sharing Program, or CISP, is a data-sharing initiative designed for the purpose of exchanging business information between participating companies.
The Commercial Information Sharing Program (CISP), a collaborative data-sharing framework in the drone industry, is revolutionising the way local and state agencies, UAS (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) service providers, and advanced aerial mobility operators collaborate. This initiative aims to enhance situational awareness, threat detection, and overall safety in drone operations.
At the heart of CISP is a secure, authorised data-sharing system. Approved stakeholders such as UAS Service Suppliers and operators can exchange real-time, authoritative data, fostering coordination among multiple public flight information exchanges across states. This data management, while primarily public, is handled with utmost care, respecting operational security and privacy.
Security clearance is a crucial aspect of CISP. Participants undergo vetting and authorisation to ensure that only trusted entities with a legitimate operational need receive sensitive information. This maintains operational security and protects privacy while enabling safe integration of drones into various sectors, including delivery, agriculture, energy, and more.
One of the key benefits of CISP is its ability to identify anomalous or unauthorised drone activities that could pose safety or security threats. By aggregating flight data and operational information from multiple drone operators and agencies, CISP supports collective awareness and a coordinated response to emerging risks. Although the technical specifics of threat detection algorithms or AI integration are not explicitly described, the sharing ecosystem plays a vital role in early threat identification.
CISP also establishes a feedback system, where data collected from drone operations flows back to both local governments and operators. This loop aids continuous improvement in regulations, operational procedures, and technology deployments, thereby enhancing safety and compliance. The involvement of academic institutions like Baldwin Wallace University, who administer the project, suggests ongoing applied research to optimise this information cycle.
CISP submissions can include telemetry anomalies, unauthorised drone behaviour, cybersecurity breaches, or sensor interference patterns. Swift response to these submissions prevents potential disruptions and boosts regional airspace security. For instance, CISP has helped implement a targeted geofence update across the network of participating companies.
Joining CISP is voluntary, but participating offers benefits such as early access to threat intelligence and improved standing for federal contracts or advanced operational permissions. Companies participating in CISP often receive access to classified threat intelligence, helping them strengthen their operational defenses. CISP functions as a secure, two-way data-sharing system with enrollment and vetting, data submission, analysis and detection, and information return loop.
CISP is a collaborative initiative between commercial entities and public sector intelligence or security organisations. Established by government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in the United States, DHS-often through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)-oversees CISP efforts. In the drone industry, CISP serves as a secure framework for manufacturers, software developers, and service providers to report cybersecurity incidents, flight anomalies, or suspicious behaviour.
CISP enforces strict security protocols, with shared data being encrypted, anonymised when necessary, and protected under nondisclosure agreements and federal data handling standards. As drones take on a greater role in national infrastructure, secure communication between public and private sectors becomes critical. With CISP, the drone industry is proactively contributing to national security efforts, significantly reducing the time between detection and mitigation while promoting collective vigilance across the industry.
[1] Source: Baldwin Wallace University, Commercial Information Sharing Program (CISP) Fact Sheet, 2021.
- The Commercial Information Sharing Program (CISP), a secure data-sharing framework, is revolutionizing collaboration in the drone industry, including finance, energy, and the aerospace sector.
- CISP fosters coordination among various public flight information exchanges by allowing approved stakeholders to exchange real-time data, promoting overall safety in drone operations.
- Participants in CISP undergo vetting and authorization to ensure they receive sensitive information, maintaining operational security and protecting privacy.
- CISP supports threat detection by collecting and analyzing flight data, and it provides a feedback system to improve regulations, operational procedures, and technology deployments in the cybersecurity, data-and-cloud-computing, and technology sectors.
