InfraGard
Encyclopedia
InfraGard is a private non-profit organization
serving as a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
. The organization describes itself as an information sharing and analysis effort serving the interests and combining the knowledge base of a wide range of members. InfraGard states they are an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States
.
Concerned about human rights, the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) warned that there "is evidence that InfraGard may be closer to a corporate TIPS
program, turning private-sector corporations — some of which may be in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers — into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI". As of September, 2010, the organization reported membership at over 40,000 (including FBI).
, Field Office in 1996, and has since expanded to become a national-level program, with InfraGard coordinators in every FBI field office. Originally, it was a local effort to gain support from the information technology
industry and academia for the FBI's investigative efforts in the cyber arena, but it has since expanded to a much wider range of activities surrounding the nation's critical infrastructure
.
The program expanded to other FBI Field Offices, and in 1998 the FBI assigned national program responsibility for InfraGard to the former National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) directed by RADM James B. Plehal USNR and to the FBI's Cyber Division in 2003.
Since 2003, InfraGard Alliances and the FBI said that they have developed a TRUST-based public-private sector partnership to ensure reliability and integrity of information exchanged about various terrorism, intelligence, criminal, and security matters. It supports FBI priorities in the areas of counterterrorism, foreign counterintelligence, and cybercrime
.
In 2011, LulzSec
claimed responsibility for attacking chapter websites managed by local members in Connecticut and Atlanta, in order to embarrass the FBI with "simple hacks".
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
serving as a public-private partnership between U.S. businesses and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. The organization describes itself as an information sharing and analysis effort serving the interests and combining the knowledge base of a wide range of members. InfraGard states they are an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Concerned about human rights, the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(ACLU) warned that there "is evidence that InfraGard may be closer to a corporate TIPS
Operation TIPS
Operation TIPS, where the last part is an acronym for the Terrorism Information and Prevention System, was a domestic intelligence-gathering program designed by President George W. Bush to have United States citizens report suspicious activity...
program, turning private-sector corporations — some of which may be in a position to observe the activities of millions of individual customers — into surrogate eyes and ears for the FBI". As of September, 2010, the organization reported membership at over 40,000 (including FBI).
History
InfraGard began in the Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Field Office in 1996, and has since expanded to become a national-level program, with InfraGard coordinators in every FBI field office. Originally, it was a local effort to gain support from the information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
industry and academia for the FBI's investigative efforts in the cyber arena, but it has since expanded to a much wider range of activities surrounding the nation's critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy. Most commonly associated with the term are facilities for:*electricity generation, transmission and distribution;...
.
The program expanded to other FBI Field Offices, and in 1998 the FBI assigned national program responsibility for InfraGard to the former National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) directed by RADM James B. Plehal USNR and to the FBI's Cyber Division in 2003.
Since 2003, InfraGard Alliances and the FBI said that they have developed a TRUST-based public-private sector partnership to ensure reliability and integrity of information exchanged about various terrorism, intelligence, criminal, and security matters. It supports FBI priorities in the areas of counterterrorism, foreign counterintelligence, and cybercrime
CyberCrime
CyberCrime was an innovative, weekly America television program on TechTV that focused on the dangers facing computer users. Filmed in San Francisco, California, the show was hosted by Alex Wellen and Jennifer London...
.
In 2011, LulzSec
LulzSec
Lulz Security, commonly abbreviated as LulzSec, is a computer hacker group that claims responsibility for several high profile attacks, including the compromise of user accounts from Sony Pictures in 2011. The group also claimed responsibility for taking the CIA website offline...
claimed responsibility for attacking chapter websites managed by local members in Connecticut and Atlanta, in order to embarrass the FBI with "simple hacks".
See also
- MATRIXMatrix- Science and mathematics :* Matrix , a mathematical object generally represented as an array of numbers** Matrix calculus, a notation for calculus operations on matrix spaces** Identity matrix...
– Information sharing partnership between various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies - Operation TIPSOperation TIPSOperation TIPS, where the last part is an acronym for the Terrorism Information and Prevention System, was a domestic intelligence-gathering program designed by President George W. Bush to have United States citizens report suspicious activity...
– Program to have citizens provide information to law enforcement and intelligence agencies - Terrorism Liaison OfficerTerrorism Liaison OfficerA Terrorism Liaison Officer is a public citizen in the United States of America who has been trained to report suspicious activity that may be encountered during the course of his or her normal occupation as part of the United States' War on Terror...
Further reading
- John P. Mello Jr., "Taking a Byte out of Crime - FBI's new computer network about cyber crime", CFO magazine, March 2001
- Andrew F. Hamm, "FBI to valley: Tell us about attacks", San Jose Business Journal, June 28, 2002
- General Accounting Office (now Government Accountability OfficeGovernment Accountability OfficeThe Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
), "Critical Infrastructure Protection: Significant Challenges in Developing National Capabilities" (pdf), April 2001 - Richard Thieme, "Center of Attention: An Interview with Ron Dick of NIPC", "Thiemeworks Interviews", 2001
- "InfraGard: Ten Years and Going Strong", FBI press release, October 4, 2006
- Dan Verton "FBI Teams with Business to Fight Cybercrime", Computerworld, January 9, 2001
- ARRL News "FBI's 'InfraGard' Program Courts Amateur Radio as Ally", ARRL News Jul 21, 2006
- Bob Evans, "Business Technology: Security Tips That Will Scare--And Help--You", InformationWeek, August 29, 2005
- D. Ian Hopper, "Rather than breaking down doors, authorities take down walls in overture to IT professionals", CNN.com, April 28, 2000
- Bernstein James, "LI business focusing on cyber security, fraud", newsday.com, December 7, 2010