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InfraGard is a grass-roots effort to respond to the need for cooperation
and collaboration countering the threat of cybercrime and terrorism to private
businesses and the government. ~y the end of September, there will be InfraGard
chapters in all 50 states, Calloway said.
With advice from the FBI, each local chapter will be run by a board of
directors that includes members of private industry, the academic community and
public agencies. Banks,utilities, and other businesses and government agencies
will use a secure Web site to share
nformation about attempts to hack into their computer networks. Members can
join the system
!t no charge.
A key feature of the system is a two-pronged method of reporting attacks.
A "sanitized"description of a hacking attempt or other incident - one that
doesn`t reveal the name or
ensitive information about the victim- can be shared with the other members
to spot trends.
?hen a more detailed description also can be sent to the FBI`s computer
crimes unit to ietermine if there are grounds for an investigation.
Cybercrime has jumped in recent years across the nation, particularly in
hotbeds of financial cormmerce and technology like Charlotte. "Ten years ago,
all you needed to protect yourself was a safe, a fence and security officers,"
said Chris Swecker, who is in charge of the FBI`s Charlotte office. "Now any
business with a modem is subject to attack."
FBE agents investigating computer hacking that disrupted popular Web
sites including Amazon.com, CNN and Yahoo! this year identified several North
Carolina victims. The investigation has also identified computer systems in
North Carolina used by hackers to commit such attacks.
Prosecutions of hackers have been hampered by the reluctance of
businesses to report security intrusions for fear of bad publicity and lost
business. Meanwhile, too many corporations have made it too easy for criminals
by sacrificing security for speed and accessibility. Jack Wiles, who will lead
the local InfraGard chapter`s board, said a recent report estimated 97 percent
of all cybercrime goes undetected. Wiles, a computer security expert, has a
firewall on his personal computer to prevent hackers from getting into his
files.
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