 | The FBI is the lead counterintelligence agency in the U.S. The FBI conducts overseas investigations where the subject is a US citizen not under Department of Defense jurisdiction. |
| | Despite the Cold War ending, the FBI investigates a growing number of foreign governments each year. |
| | There is a growing threat to our National Security posed by economic espionage and the theft of intellectual property. |
| | The FBI's Awareness of National Securities and Response Program (ANSIR) helps companies protect National and proprietary threats. |
The FBI's Awareness of National Security Issues and Responses Program (ANSIR) was developed to make contact with companies engaged in classified U.S. Government contract work and to heighten their awareness to the threat posed by both hostile and friendly foreign intelligence services to the company's personnel and operations. The program works in concert with companies to explain to them the FBI's Foreign counterintelligence (FCI) and law enforcement responsibilities in these matters and to solicit their assistance in matters of mutual interest.
The United States is the world leader in technology research. The world's espionage efforts have expanded from military related secrets to advanced technology in all areas, the United States is the primary target for industrial spies.
The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 was created to make it easier to prosecute those who are involved in economic espionage via theft of trade secrets. The act contains two separate provisions that make the theft of trade secrets a federal offense. The first provision under Title 18 United State Code Section 1831, is directed toward foreign economic espionage and requires that the theft of a trade secret be committed to benefit a foreign government, instrumentality or agent. The second provision, under Section 1832, makes criminal the commercial theft of trade secrets, regardless who benefits.
Industry and the FBI have joined in a partnership to counter these threats and to preserve and promote the nation's economic security.
The FBI is charged with the responsibility of investigating unauthorized computer intrusions and other computer related crimes and incidents. Cyber crimes are an enormous problem for all levels of law enforcement. In the FBI's National Security Program, the FBI targets hackers, virus writers, criminal groups, terrorist, foreign intelligence services, foreign militaries, thieves of trade secrets and intellectual property pirates that impact our nations security.
Central Ohio InfraGard Chapter
The INFRAGARD initiative provides a mechanism for the public and private sectors to share information about cyber intrusion incidents, computer system vulnerabilities and physical infrastructure threats. This initiative encourages the exchange of information by members of local INFRAGARD chapters in each FBI field office. Membership in these chapters include representatives from the FBI, private industry, state and local law enforcement, the academic community, and other government agencies.
The INFRAGARD Program is designed to provide members with access to secured web sites to discuss computer vulnerabilities and known system security problems. It also provides members with a direct personal link to the FBI.
Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 63, "Critical Infrastructure Protection," signed by the President in May 1998, assigns the FBI and the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) the duty of being the focal point for gathering information on threats to our national infrastructure.
The NIPC will provide the principal means of facilitating and coordinating the Federal Government's response to an incident and investigating threats to National Infrastructure facilities. The mission includes providing timely warning of intentional threats, comprehensive analyses, law enforcement investigation and response.
Currently, there are two primary goals of the Key Asset Initiative (KAI). The first, consistent with PDD 63, is to enable NIPC to function as "the national critical infrastructure threat assessment, warning, vulnerability, and law enforcement investigation and response entity." The second is to provide the Division's Special Agent in Charge (SAC), when acting as Federal on-scene commander, with sufficient crisis management resources so the SAC can access and deploy those resources in an infrastructure emergency.
The overall objective of the KAI is to develop and maintain a database of information concerning "Key Assets" and to protect the critical infrastructure against both physical and cyber threats. Critical infrastructures are identified as telecommunications, electrical energy, gas and oil storage, banking and finance, transportation, water supply systems, emergency services and government operations. An awareness of the potential vulnerabilities to the U.S. critical infrastructures will promote a working relationship with the FBI and Key Assets stakeholders.
By Executive Order in April, 1982, the FBI was assigned lead Agency responsibility for Terrorism investigations within the United States.
| | Counterterrorism, both international and domestic, is a FBI strategic priority because it impacts national and economic security. |
| | The FBI is the United State's lead agency for counterterrorism. |
| | The FBI's goal in counterterrorism is to prevent acts of terrorism, react to incidents of terrorism, and solve such criminal acts. |
| | The FBI's key counterterrorism components include the National Infrastructure Protection Center, the National Domestic Preparedness Office and the Counterterrorism Center. |
| | Key Asset Program |
| | Counterterrorism Working Group. |
Counterterrorism has a two-fold mission: to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur and to mount an immediate investigative response when an act of terrorism has occurred. The prevention phase involves collecting, analyzing, and utilizing intelligence gathered on groups or individuals whose presence may threaten U.S. persons or interests, to prevent a terrorist act from occurring. The response phase involves bringing all available investigative resources to bear when a terrorist act has occurred, to identify the perpetrators, and bring about swift prosecution.
COUNTERTERRORISM WORKING GROUP - CTWG
In order to respond to the growing terrorist threat FBI Cincinnati is in the process of formulating CTWG's in Cincinnati and Columbus. The CTWG will include federal and local law enforcement.
The CTWG will have primary responsibility for proactive initiatives and investigations of domestic and international terrorism issues.