A Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group that coordinates an organization’s or community’s response to cybersecurity incidents. Its work may include receiving reports, assessing threats, sharing warnings, and helping affected teams contain and recover from an incident.
CERTs matter because attacks can cross organizational and national boundaries, making trusted contacts and coordinated procedures essential. In practice, a CERT may issue guidance about a vulnerability or help coordinate responses to phishing, ransomware, or service disruptions. Regional information-sharing networks can support this work, but are not necessarily CERTs themselves. A CERT is a response-coordination function, not evidence that a particular attack has occurred.