National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month so it is a good time to review how your business is protected against any cyber attack. One of the ways to stregthen our protection against cyber-crime is to collaborate with the law enforcement agencies.

COLLABORATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

As a business, we independently deploy various mechanisms to protect our data against cyber-crime. However, by collaborating with the law enforcement agencies, we can improve our chances of protecting our country from criminals who are behind these cyber-crimes.

At a recent panel discussion organized by the Eastchester/Tuckahoe Chamber of Commerce on How to Protect Against Cyber Crime, a Special Agent Maryann Goldman from FBI who is InfraGard Coordinator for Hudson Valley Region in New York spoke about how such collaboration can be achieved.

INFRAGARD

To facilitate such collaboration between the law enforcement and the local businesses, InfraGard was created on a nationwide basis. It is a partnership between FBI and the private sector to gather information and to analyze intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States including cyber-crime.

InfraGard has as its members, businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants who are dedicated to sharing information and knowhow.

It is a volunteer organization and it does not cost any money to join InfraGard. Applicants are screened by FBI to make sure that criminal elements are not accepted.

The application process is very straight forward and the application is reviewed fairly quickly. And once you are accepted to the membership, you will start to receive many benefits including the following.

BENEFITS

1. Get invitations and discounts to seminars and training and conferences. 
2. Network with representatives from other companies that help maintain our national infrastructure.
3. Gain access to FBI secure communication network.
4. Obtain time-sensitive, infrastructure related security information from government sources.

HOW TO JOIN INFRAGARD

For anyone interested in joining InfraGard membership, they can go to InfraGard website at: http://www.infragard.net