Executive Voices

Catching Cyber Criminals
In InfraGard, North Carolina has one of the nation's best resources

By Joan Myers

Cyber security is no longer an issue for a few in the IT department or the theme of a movie. In the business world it is now a matter of corporate and personal security and something every CEO should make a top priority. That is to say, it affects every aspect of our lives.

In 1997 President Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directives 63, which focused specifically on protecting the nation’s critical infrastructures from both physical and “cyber” attack. Unlike a few decades ago, when our national defense in the private sector was centered in the defense industry, today all businesses contribute to the collective national defense.

This is largely due to our dependence on IT and the Internet. Thus, various types of cyber attacks may come from foreign governments, terrorist organizations and criminal organizations. They may come in the form of intrusions, worms, hacking or other nefarious means.

In a post-9/11 world these threats have significantly increased and North Carolina has had our share of disruptions. Fortunately, North Carolina is home to the largest cyber security program in the country— InfraGard.

The InfraGard program was created in 1997 as a public-private sector partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other participants that are dedicated to increasing the security of the 15 critical infrastructures of the United States.

In 2000, the FBI began the InfraGard program in North Carolina, backed by NCEITA and supported by over 700 businesses and institutions. North Carolina’s program now is a national leader. Cisco Systems Inc., through the leadership of Vice President and CTO for Government Solutions Greg Akers Sr., is a founding supporter of the North Carolina InfraGard. Akers believes that communication among the private and public sector regarding cybersecurity and protecting the country’s critical infrastructure is the key to detecting and avoiding potential disruptions.

InfraGard has two chapters in North Carolina, the Eastern Carolina Chapter (Raleigh) (www.ecinfragard.org) and the Charlotte Chapter (www.ncinfragard.org.) InfraGard participants are committed to sharing information about best security practices, threats to and actual attacks on critical infrastructures and can do so in a confidential and secure manner. 

The InfraGard chapters are run as separate 501 (c)(3) organizations and the InfraGard network of information is managed by the FBI. Working cooperatively, the FBI and business leaders are able to stop attacks, share information or collaborate on the appropriate computer or cyber forensics if an intrusion is detected. Best of all, members can gain confidential information in a just-in-time format to better prepare their networks from vulnerabilities and an understanding of how the other infrastructures affect them or are effected by them.

The outstanding InfraGard program in North Carolina is due in large part to the fact that our state is home to some of the best cyber agents in the FBI.

“There have been several occasions where N.C. businesses have received a faster, more effective response to incidents due to an established relationship with us through the InfraGard memberships,” says Doris Gardner, FBI supervisory special agent of N.C. Cybercrime Investigations. 

Businesses such as Cisco, Wachovia, Microsoft, Bank of America, Osprey, Red Hat, Lowe’s, Nortel Networks, just to name a few, have been key to building the program. Ray Ivey, Charlotte chapter president, says, “The collaborative effort fostered by InfraGard offers companies a venue to learn about and solve problems through sharing, rather than government mandating requirements in a vacuum.” Just as important are the InfraGard members that attend the monthly meetings and keep up to date on security threats. There are over 72 InfraGard chapters nationwide with 11,700 members.

A good example of how InfraGard works is expressed by David Jones, president of Peak 10. “We consider InfraGard a significant business partner and resource to our company but also for our North Carolina customer bases, all of whom are very security conscious with respect to network management and their hosted environment. InfraGard provides a ready source for our customers to not only obtain and share the latest information, but also strengthen the “trusted advisor” role Peak 10 fulfills for its customers. Also, given today’s heightened risk, both domestically and internationally, sharing information between federal authorities and local business is and will continue to be a key part of Peak 10’s security strategy.”

In my career I have been part of several public-private sector partnerships, but I have never seen one as successful or more important.

If your company or organization does any business on the Internet they should be part of InfraGard in North Carolina, which is free. Together, we can combat cyber terrorism and continue to innovate against criminal activity that threatens our well being and way of life.

If you would like more information please call SA Jaime K. Carothers, FBI, Charlotte Division InfraGard Coordinator at 704-331-4622; SA Donald McArthur, FBI, Raleigh RA Assistant Coordinator, 919-854-2432.


Joan Myers of Raleigh is president and CEO of the North Carolina Electronics and Information Technology Association.


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