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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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