INFRAGARD ALLIANCES NATIONWIDE

• A substantive comment should be approximately 250 words or more.
• Cite sources within your comment to support your statements.
• Include at least two references minimum, properly formatted, not just a link.

So the professor sent this out, I think it can help.

Before writing your comments:

• Review the Discussion grading rubric to see what is expected for an excellent discussion, in order to earn full credit.
• Review some resources to help you synthesize, such as the following:

Sullivan, J. (2011). Strategies for Synthesis Writing. Retrieved from http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/edu/Strategies-for-Synthesis-Writing.html

I started my discussion with this:

Professor and Classmates,

InfraGard refers to the partnership between the private sector members and the federal bureau of investigation (FBI). The collaboration works towards maintaining and protecting the United State’s critical infrastructure. Thus, it plays a role in connecting the operators and owners of active infrastructure to the federal bureau of investigation. Through this, InfraGard provides education, shares information, connects different departments across the network, and provides workshops meeting new technology. It has the following vetted membership, entrepreneurs, business executives, lawyers, military, security personnel, governmental officials, state and law enforcement, information technology professionals, and academia. Across the vetted membership, InfraGard plays a role in advancing national security (U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, 2018.

I chose information technology and academic alliances as InfraGard helps support them to enhance investigation efforts across the cyber arena. The programs also protect the infrastructure center and several cyber divisions. The relationship between the federal bureau of investigations and InfraGard helps share information concerning intelligence, security matters, criminals, and terrorism virtually and effectively through information technology (Dinerman, 2011). I found it interesting that the InfraGard’s objectives are to promote timely communication and current dialogue between members and federal in general. Therefore, it is through membership of the InfraGard where one can access information that enhances protection. Accessing the report will also allow a chance to communicate with the government to facilitate its roles towards terrorism and other crime addresses (DHS, 2013).

The roles played by the InfraGard through information technology and academia include the following. It enhances the information reporting level between FBI members and the InfraGard. All counterterrorism, cybercrime, and other network insecurities get well managed, providing a better environment for sharing the required information. Also, it enhances interactions and additional information sharing between threats related to the FBI and InfraGard members. Through this, the critical infrastructures, interdependencies, and vulnerabilities get improved and protected from criminal attacks. It, on the other hand, provide members with threat advisories, warning, and alerts. Therefore, improving their preparedness towards the incoming issue (Pinguelo, Lee, Muller, 2012). It also offers an effective relationship between federal, state, and local agencies such as the homeland security department. Thus, it helps improve the security of information communication systems and their network systems across different locations. Finally, through academia, education forums and training programs help understand counterintelligence cybercrime, counterterrorism, and other related matters.

P.

Reference:

Pinguelo, F. M., Lee, W., & Muller, B. W. (2012). Virtual Crimes, Real Damages Part II: What Businesses Can Do Today to Protect Themselves from Cybercrime, and What Public-Private Partnerships are Attempting to Achieve for the Nation of Tomorrow. Va. JL & Tech., 17, 75.

Dinerman, B. (2011). Social networking and security risks. GFI White Paper, 1-7.

DHS, U. (2013). NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Washington DC.

U.S. Department Of Justice, FBI. (2018). InfraGard FactSheet. Retrieved from FBI: Office of Private Sector: https://www.infragard.org/Files/INFRAGARD_Factshee…

If you can Synthesis with this it would help alot and you can add more to the responses.

RESPONSE 1:

Class,

The closest InfraGard chapter located to me is actually a short drive across the bay located in Tampa, FL. I found it most interesting that anyone can join the chapter and there are no required annual or monthly dues required, although they highly recommend that members make a donation to provide a “quality membership experience”. Being a member comes with benefits such as invitations to invents and special discounts on important training seminars and conferences. More importantly, a primary benefit is the ability to network with representatives from other companies in order to maintain national infrastructure.

One fact that I found extremely fascinating is KnowBe4 is one of the main sponsors, which is a company located in Clearwater, FL that my dad works at. The other companies that are sponsors are companies I have never heard of, so it was kind of cool to see a company that my dad works for be so involved in maintaining national security and critical infrastructure.

Tampa Bay Infragard. (2019). Home. Retrieved from InfraGard Tampa Bay Members Alliance: https://www.tampabayinfragard.com/

Dwayne Morgan

RESPONSE 2:

Class

InfraGard protects our nation’s critical infrastructure through partnerships between the FBI and private sector teams. These private sector partners are known as InfraGard Member Alliances, which all comprise the InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA). INMA members have access to various specialists, training and documentation to strengthen our infrastructure (DOJ, N.D.).

Colorado’s IMA resides in Denver, which also services Wyoming. The “InfraGard Denver Members Alliance” (IDMA) has over 2,000 active members, making it the 7th largest chapter in the nation. The IDMA hosts 4 half day meetings per year which include speakers from various agencies such as other InfraGard members, FBI, Secret Service, and DHS. Each meeting has a specific focus, such as: Criminal, Counterterrorism, Cyber Threats, and Counterintelligence (IDMA, 2019).

I had never heard of InfraGard until this assignment. I am very interested in visiting my local chapter as it seems to directly relate to a major program I am taking on from an outgoing co-worker. I feel that I may be coordinating a visit up to the IDMA with my co-appointed Critical Asset Risk Manager (CARM) for the Peterson-Schriever Garrison (United States Space Force). This alliance could be a valuable source to network with to strengthen our CARM program and to benefit the entire Colorado “Front Range,” as we have various high-profile assets within the 6 bases between Colorado Springs and Denver. Needless to say, this topic has piqued my interest!

Andrew

Reference:

InfraGard Denver Members Alliance (IDMA). (2019). Corporate Sponsors. Accessed October 20, 2020 from https://www.denverinfragard.org/corporate-sponsors

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). (N.D.). InfraGard – Connect to Protect. Accessed October 20, 2020 from https://www.infragard.org/Files/INFRAGARD_Factsheet_10-10-2018.pdf

RESPONSE 3:

Class,

InfraGard is definitely a program that would benefit a lot of businesses after reading what it aims to do. I was totally unaware of this valuable partnership having worked in the telecommunications department for an electric company with the nation’s largest transmission system (Fortune 500, 2020). The company? American Electric Power (AEP). More specifically, I worked for PSO or Public Service Company of Oklahoma which is one of seven companies underneath the AEP “umbrella”. Where am I going with this? AEP owns thousands of miles of transmission lines and numerous SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) sites that are vulnerable to cyber and physical (including insider) threats that could possibly affect the 5.5. million customers (AEP, n.d.) AEP has. AEP would benefit from an InfraGard membership.

Outside of InfraGard security benefits, energy companies like AEP employ CIP standards which are physical security standards “to address physical security risks and vulnerabilities related to the reliable operation of the power grid” (Harrell & Barnes, 2017); these are standards set in place by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2014 as the need surfaced.

So, what is critical infrastructure that InfraGard aims to protect? As defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (n.d.), it is the assets the United States utilizes, that if jeopardized, would result in great harm to our safety, health, or economic security. These are very vital assets that must be protected. InfraGard is in Texas in the South Central Chapter with seven other states (U.S. Department of Justice, 2018). Where I live in North Texas, and coincidentally, there is a North Texas Chapter of InfraGard. What I didn’t realize is that they provide active shooter training, training related to counterterrorism, and training on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) (North Texas Chapter, n.d.) along with other training items of interest. The North Texas Chapter in Dallas, TX is about two and a half hour drive so it would surely be the closest one that I would be a member of.

Tack

References:

AEP. (n.d.). AEP Facts at a Glance. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from AEP: https://www.aep.com/about/facts

Fortune 500. (2020, May 18). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from Fortune: https://fortune.com/company/american-electric-powe…

Harrell, B., & Barnes, B. (2017). Grid Security Requires Constant Vigilance From Insider Threats. Infraguard, 2017(4).

North Texas Chapter. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from InfraGard: https://www.ntinfragard.org/about/

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). Critical Infrastructure Security. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from U.S. Department of Homeland Security: https://www.dhs.gov/topic/critical-infrastructure-…

U.S. Department of Justice. (2018). InfraGard factsheet. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from FBI: Office of Private Sector: https://www.infragard.org/Files/INFRAGARD_Factshee…

RESPONSE 4:

Class,

I am currently living in the Toronto Canada area. Taking a class like this, can be a bit challenging when I have to pick a location near me. Canada has its own versions of security, and a lot of the information is not online. I have chosen the Buffalo InfraGuard Alliance.

The Buffalo InfraGuard Alliance is based out of the Buffalo FBI Office, in Buffalo NY. (Buffalo, 2011). Near the City of Buffalo, is the Niagara Falls, NY, the home of the famous Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is a natural water fall system, which is connected to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. When crossing the US and Canada Border, I pass by a large electrical power plant, called the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant (NY Power Authority, 2020). Combined, these plants create “New York State’s biggest electricity producer” (NY Power Authority, 2020). This is a critical infrastructure system, which provides electricity to millions of people for people of the US and Canada. Because of its vast power, and closeness to the US and Canada border, it can be a target for terrorism, which is why I chose it for this assignment.

Another reason I chose the Buffalo InfraGuard Alliance is because of the FBI’s Buffalo Cyber Taskforce. (IGBUFGRI, 2017). During this class we will be learning about infrastructures and SCADA which stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, (Beal, n.d.). Electrical power plants use the SCADA systems, and they need Cyber Security to protect them. With Buffalo being so close to a border, the potential of a terrorist crossing the border, and conducting an attack is much greater than other locations. The Buffalo Cyber task force works with other technological companies such as Forcepoint, Proofpoint, and iV4, (IGBUFGRI, 2017). These companies are cybersecurity specialist which are part of the Buffalo InfraGuard Alliance.

I also chose the Buffalo InfraGuard Alliance, because Buffalo is the home of several medical insurance companies, to include Blue Cross Blue Shield. In today’s medical world, everything is accessible via the internet, to include medical records. Medical records can be shared with other offices, by accessing a computer databased system. When people go to the doctor, their information is in the system. Many people these days use the internet to receive medical bills and even pay for them. If a person was to access these systems, they could steal another person’s identity. Companies who use the internet for this type of system, must have good internet security.

Mark

Reference:

Beal, V. (n.d.). SCADA – supervisory control and data acquisition. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/SCADA.html

Buffalo. (2011, March 29). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/buffa…

Chapter List. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.infragard.org/Application/General/Chap…

Cyber Crime. (2016, May 03). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber

Cybersecurity Solutions, Services & Training. (2020). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.proofpoint.com/us

FBI Buffalo History. (2016, May 26). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.fbi.gov/history/field-office-histories…

Forcepoint. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.forcepoint.com/

IGBUFGRI. (2017). Home. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.infragardbuffalo.org/

InfraGard Connect to Protect. (2018, November 01). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.infragard.org/Files/INFRAGARD_Factshee…

IV4, A. (2015). IT Support, Consulting, Security & Cloud. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.iv4.com/

NY Power Authority. (2020). Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.nypa.gov/power/generation/niagara-powe…

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– Background

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE VULNERABILITY AND PROTECTION: AN INTRODUCTION

Reading Expectation:

Though you may find some of your readings technical, you are not responsible for detailed knowledge, formulas, or other scientifically oriented material. The expectation is that you have a general working knowledge of the material.

Required Reading

InfraGard factsheet. (2018). FBI: Office of Private Sector. Retrieved from https://www.infragard.org/Files/INFRAGARD_Factshee…

Krambeck, D. (2015). An introduction to SCADA systems. All About Circuits. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-article…

Mandel, M., & McCormick, E. (2018). FERC approves supply chain risk reliability standards. Troutman Sanders. Retrieved from https://www.troutmansandersenergyreport.com/2018/1…

NIPP 2013: Partnering for infrastructure security and resilience. (2013). DHS.gov. retrieved from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publicati… Read pages 1-14

Resiliency rules: 7 Steps for critical infrastructure protection. (2007). Slideserve. Retrieved from https://www.slideserve.com/sierra/resiliency-rules

Required Websites

Critical Infrastructure Sectors. https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/critical-infrastructure-s…

Information Sharing: A Vital Resource for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience.https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/information-sharing-vital…

InfraGard. https://www.infragard.org/

National Infrastructure Protection Plan. https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/national-infrastructure-p…

Required Videos

TV6 & FOX UP. (2017, August 9). InfraGard [Video file]. Retrieved from

RealPars. (2019, June 3). What is SCADA? [Video file]. Retrieved from

This is an 8-minute video.