Critical Infrastructure Protection –
 
InfraGard…the only thing missing is “U”!

 
 
 

September 19, 2007
 
InfraGard National Members Alliance, Inc.
Sheri Donahue, Managing Director
Washington, DC
 
SUBJECT: InfraGard Success Stories
 
Dear Sheri,
 
Thank you for offering the NY Metro InfraGard Alliance an opportunity to discuss just a couple of stories which we believe reflect upon the success of InfraGard. It is with steadfast determination we move forward – with a world class partner in the FBI. We thank our National Board for their time, commitment and support as we move along this road together.
 
Welcome fellow Presidents to the 2007 National Congress and thanks for your continued commitment to our national security program focused on critical infrastructure protection. The NYC Alliance joins you with great pride and the age old traditions of the Empire State; as we peer into the future we too see global threats, border security and a need for every New Yorker to place a claim on improved information security awareness as a top priority. Recently, the New York City Police Commissioner claimed that the internet is the next terrorist training camp and likened it to the terror training camps of Afghanistan. New York City alone is the home of 188 distinct cultures and languages and well over 650,000 small businesses. The complexity of the area we serve is difficult to comprehend, the challenge to make an impact is enormous and the needs are tremendous beyond all imagination. As we approach October our Nation, States and Cities will focus on Information Security Awareness Month, we ask you all to focus on this issue and once again join us and direct the attention of our nation on this most important topic.
 
In this report our alliance will highlight three areas which we believe will point to past, present and future successes of our organization locally and offer a course for some revenue opportunities which will, we think allow some alliances to grow.
 
All the best,
 
Joseph R. Concannon
CEO
 
 

In March of 2006 we explored Crisis Communications, lead by our board member Frances Schlosstein.  John Miller, PIO of the FBI explained in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that the news cycle of 7AM, 6PM and 11PM at night was over. Today the media coverage is 24/7. If you don’t have an expert to place in front of the camera, the media will go out and find one. Dead time will not fill air time. The public sector was making a shift and learning how to work with an always turned on media. More recently Frances tended to Pandemic Planning Awareness at NYU and continues to expand the NY InfraGard influence throughout NYC.
 
March of 2007 at our second annual Geospatial Conference George Davis took to the podium in a different type of communication and information management issue. George has successfully managed a number of Geospatial events and works within the industry. He too understands the importance and significance of data integrity and visualization of that data. So that not just first responders but government and industry alike can be better prepared, better plan and better understand the outcomes of the important decisions they make.
 
These are two fantastic examples of NYC success stories. 
 
 
 
 
Taming the fire hose of information...

 
New York City is the Communications Capital of the United States and the World. As such New Yorkers have a very high expectation for timely and accurate information. 
 
Upon joining the FBI InfraGard Program our new member’s expectations had to be managed. New members consistently felt that they weren’t getting information fast enough, complete enough, and felt short changed, that the FBI was in the business of getting information and not giving it. At one point the Assistant Director of the NY Field Office was asked at a conference about sharing trend analysis and information so that corporations could better protect themselves.
 
The NYC InfraGard Office consistently educates its members at every event and attempts to explain that while the internet provides a fire hose of information, it can not always be relied upon to be accurate and reliable. We go further to explain that the FBI is a Federal Law Enforcement Agency that can not release information which might impact operational security, strategy or cases which have not been fully adjudicated.   
 
In April of 2006 our Alliance welcomed SA Charles Muldoon. SA Muldoon proved to be the answer for information sharing. Shortly after his appointment as our InfraGard Coordinator SA Muldoon appeared at each of our events, handled questions, sent press releases, alerts, and information out to the membership. The Information door now swings both ways at InfraGard in NYC. At our September 17th event SA Muldoon will introduce an FBI Analyst who develops “Trending” Information for our members. This is the second report for 2007 so far. Our secure members talk with SA Muldoon and discuss the pros and cons of the report, this way our members also bear some responsibility for the final product. 
 
SA Muldoon is a welcomed asset to our Alliance and it is though his ambition and understanding of the program that our IMA enjoys an outstanding relationship with the NYFO of the FBI.
 
This is a New York City InfraGard Members Alliance success story.
 
 
 
In December of each year NY Metro InfraGard focuses on the financial services industry; our event is hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. An institution rich with the finest tradition and history one might anticipate.
 
We owe a debt of gratitude to the NY FED as they understand critical infrastructure protection and once a year open their doors to the InfraGard Program. Here we tell the Nation, thank you to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York!
 
Teaming or jointly holding meetings is a way we like to conduct our events in NYC. As such we teamed with the Fraud Resource Group (FRG) www.FraudResourceGroup.com to hold one of our December events. We meet with the principles and develop “trusted” relationships. 
 
As events come and go we tend to loose track of our teaming principles but with the help of John Tierney, our Executive Vice President we now have a blog; we hope to extend those teaming relationships a bit further. One noticeable attribute was that it helped us stay connected with the principles and provide a reference point for all to reflect back on. The FRG, Jon McDowall, partner was indeed one of the first success stories borne of all this relationship brokering. It didn’t of course hurt that Jon also “got it” when it came to critical infrastructure protection (CIP). 
 
As a result of this positive work, Jon McDowall and Philip Froehlich, our Vice President for Strategy along with a broader group championed an idea that would be unique for InfraGard. Could we develop a course that if properly positioned would play a critical role in protecting individuals, workplaces, and the very nation itself? Lucky for InfraGard Jon brought in some seasoned professionals, additional resources and the collaboration began earlier in 2007. 
 
Today, InfraGard in NYC is in the enviable position to offer such a course to you: the InfraGard leadership. We are very proud to do this and for a number of terrific reasons. First, it answers the question: what does InfraGard have that is unique? We have an awareness course that we will be offering FREE of charge to individuals across the nation – addressing CIP, raising the level of awareness, focusing individuals on what they need to see and then report. Secondly, we have a course which will allow Alliances for the first time to build repeatable revenue should individuals want to take our test and provide a certificate of “Information Security Awareness” to their employers. This very same course will be made available to government and industry in a variety of pricing plans. We want this course to become the standard in “Awareness” for the non technical.
 
NY Metro InfraGard is inviting each of you to champion CIP, join with us in supporting our efforts and build a viable, self sustaining Not For Profit, locally. We are providing a valuable tool for all to accomplish this. More details are available upon request.
 
This is another NY Metro InfraGard Members Alliance success story.
Philip Froehlich, SA William Ho (Domain Program NY), SA John Fortunato (Domain Program NY) along with SA Charlie Muldoon (NYFO FBI InfraGard Coordinator) collaborated on the need to get the academic community more involved and to sincerely find out what’s going on and how can we help?
 
After the Virginia Tech incident all at NY Metro InfraGard were indeed trying to figure out what went wrong and how could we help, if at all. The nation today is still struggling for a number of answers to some very complex questions. Clearly, we as a nation were and still are very upset. No child should be endangered while building academic credentials. 
 
Phil worked with the Special Agents and we convened a meeting of as many security directors as were available during the summer months into a small meeting to search for the questions that needed answers. 
 
One of the most prominent issues that arose very quickly was the inability to communicate across functional areas wherein no crime was committed but unusual behavior patterns were beginning to be detected, thus falling under the radar screen for required collaboration and/or reporting. Thus mental health professionals, risk managers and security directors had erected a wall protecting the privacy of individuals. The Buckley Act, FERPA, GLBA, HIPAA and your garden variety of policies, rules and ordinances came into play to protect the rights of the individual. The discussions were lengthy and covered all the likely suspects of constitutional law and regulations.
 
InfraGard in NYC requested our National Board to query the membership of InfraGard. We wanted to request feedback on FERPA, had it been interpreted and then over the years misunderstood and reinterpreted too strictly? What are the practices, what are the problems, does the law, policies and procedures need to be reviewed and do campuses across the country need to balance in the favor of safety, even if it means privacy taking a second seat? If we can not be secure in our environments then what use is privacy? 
 
Our National Board, Sheri Donahue, Managing Director along with others contacted the FBI and the request went out to the secure membership of InfraGard. The channels of communication at the FBI and IMNA clearly helped. Please take note that we each should take great pride at the depth and breathe of the InfraGard Secure Membership. We have nearly one hundred replies, many references and policies and a number of offers to assist in further exploration. Our members are invaluable.
 
As a result of these open channels of communication InfraGard in NYC announced today to this esteemed academic group assistance for, “A Call for Papers”. InfraGard in NYC will host a Security Summit during the Month of November during which we will ask subject matter experts to define the playing field, scope the problem and offer a future path for NYC Academic Institutions and as such the nation. Thank you all.
 
This is another NY Metro InfraGard Members Alliance success story.