Some believe CERT and CSIRT are interchangeable. They are not.
CERT
Computer Emergency Response Team. Found in major computer security organisations across government, commerce, and academia. Staffed by software engineers.
CSIRT
Computer Security Incident Response Team. More generic, often adopted by businesses.
The differences
CERTs work with the internet community to facilitate response, bring community awareness, evaluate research. Usually provide 24-hour technical assistance.
CSIRTs are services responsible for receiving, reviewing, and responding to incident reports for a defined constituency.
Originally published 26 April 2017. Migrated to the new IRC site in 2026.