InfraGard Members Alliance Houston

Welcome to InfraGard Houston!

The Houston Chapter of InfraGard provides members of the Critical Infrastructure community a means to share information to prevent, protect, and defend against hostile acts against Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR).  

Members will find access to a number of resources that are used on a day to day basis, and find a number of communication portals to assist in protecting critical infrastructure.

If you're a visitor you might want to start at the About us page to find out more about the InfraGard program.

Houston Police Dept. gets 737 airliner as training tool

Houston police now have an old jet airliner to use as a training tool that could make them the envy of big-city law enforcement agencies around the nation.

Top police brass cut a ceremonial ribbon Monday on a retired Boeing 737 that had been used as an Air Force trainer in San Antonio. It was set to be decommissioned and destined for an airplane graveyard in the Arizona desert.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/19/2344848/houston-pd-gets-737-airliner-as.html#ixzz0uKSm6Dlf

Cyber protection

A shortage of experts to protect the U.S. against hackers has led the government to cast a wide net for talent - and next week that net lands at Cal Poly Pomona.

The 22 winners of a statewide competition that sought to identify Californians with a talent for cyber security - the protection of computers and networks against attacks - are set to gather at the university for a weeklong cyber camp beginning Monday. 

Delaware and New York are also hosting camps, organized through the U.S. Cyber Challenge, a nonprofit initiative to build up 10,000 Americans over the next few years to enter the fields of computer security.

"Cyber security is a growing field," said Karen Evans, the national director of the U.S. Cyber Challenge. "There's a limited number of people with the right skill set to do these jobs. We want to create a framework to generate buzz and interest."

http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_15535794?IADID

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Mathematics could be anti-terror tool

Mathematicians and computer scientists have begun to develop equations and algorithms for combing through mountains of data and uncover hidden "rules" that govern terrorism behavior, ScienceNews.org reported Monday.

Other researchers are seeking simple mathematical formulas that could describe the optimal arrangement of a secret terrorist cell and provide clues on how to destroy it.

"If you have a mathematical model that can describe the structure of a terror network -- and the model works -- then you can predict the future," says Alexander Gutfraind, a mathematician at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Full article: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/07/13/Mathematics-could-be-anti-terror-tool/UPI-45631279046662/

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Smart Grid 101 Training

An Energy Management Institute Training Program.

Understand the Smart Grid and how it is likely to evolve and be protected.

In its contemporary form, the Smart Grid encompasses the facilities, control systems and protocols from the electric generators to the retail customers and their usage patterns. The new Smart Grid will be a target for foreign governments, terrorists, hackers, and disgruntled employees that may be intent on causing damage to the U.S. electric grid and utility system integrity. The Smart Grid will also offer a wealth of benefits in energy conservation, control of electric generation, and transmission of energy to best meet customers needs economically and dependably. This course will explore the Smart grid vulnerabilities and implementation options that may best protect and utilize new technologies, with a focus on best practices around the country

Full article: http://www.energyinstitution.org/education/course-detail.php?filterby=A&filterval=0&returnto=schedule&id=74

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

Terror defendant scoffed at JFK security

A former cargo handler on a reconnaissance mission... marveled at the lack of security for jet fuel storage tanks there, according to tapes played Tuesday at his terror trial.

The pair hoped to "cause greater destruction than in the Sept. 11 attacks," the government alleges in an indictment. The plot never got past the planning stages, authorities said. The men have pleaded not guilty.

In the tape played Tuesday, Defreitas bragged about his knowledge of Kennedy Airport and its vulnerabilities.  "For years, I've been watching them," he said of the fuel tanks.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imyS6Rxh0dCsz_QlXiqWrCjtdtEwD9GPPLDO0

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

U.S. quietly launches protection program against cyber attacks on critical infrastructure

The U.S. government is launching an expansive program dubbed Perfect Citizen to detect cyber assaults on private companies and government agencies running such critical infrastructure as the electricity grid and nuclear-power plants, according to people familiar with the program.

An NSA spokeswoman said the agency had no information to provide on the program. A Raytheon spokesman declined to comment.

The goal is to close the “big, glaring holes” in the U.S.’s understanding of the nature of the cyber threat against its infrastructure, one industry specialist familiar with the program told Gorman. “We don’t have a dedicated way to understand the problem.”

http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/nsa-perfect-citizen-program-purely-research-and-engineering-effort

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

DHS issues Private Sector Resources Catalog

In order to face the new threats and evolving hazards of today's security environment, we must develop and maintain critical homeland security capabilities at all layers of our society. We all share the responsibility to build all-hazards preparedness and resiliency into our way of life. As outlined in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report released earlier this year, this enterprise approach is composed of multiple partners whose roles and responsibilities are distributed and shared among a broad-based community with a common interest in the public safety and well-being of America and American society.

The Private Sector Resources Catalog facilitates your organization's access to the resources you need to participate in the homeland security enterprise and help keep our country secure. The first to be targeted specifically towards private sector partners and encompassing the entire Department, this document collects the training, publications, guidance, alerts, newsletters, programs, and services available to the private sector across the Department. Recognizing the breadth and diversity of the available resources as well as the Department's continually evolving work, this catalog will be updated regularly to publicize new resources and increase private sector awareness.

Available at: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/private_sector_resource_catalog.pdf

Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep) Resource Center

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the adoption of the final standards for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep)—a major milestone in DHS' implementation of a program recommended by the 9/11 Commission to improve private sector preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

"Private organizations across the country—from businesses to universities to non-profit organizations—have a vital role to play in bolstering our disaster preparedness and response capabilities," said Secretary Napolitano. "These new standards will provide our private sector partners with the tools they need to enhance the readiness and resiliency of our nation."

http://www.fema.gov/privatesector/preparedness/index.htm

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling

InfraGard National Members Alliance leaders webinar on "Sharing and Layering in Cyber Investigations"

Attacks on information infrastructure pose the most serious economic and national security threat of the 21st century.  Gone are the days of individual hackers as the primary threat to cyber security; today's cyber warriors are members of organized crime rings and hostile nation states, and their targets are government and financial networks; communications, utilities and critical infrastructure control, and sensitive defense and military information.  The need to improve cyber investigative information sharing from both a technology and policy perspective, put an end to data siloing, and improve public-private partnerships is crucial to prevent a cyber 9/11.

Learn from these veterans of policy and technology development about how to implement best practices that can ensure your organizations investigative, defensive and offensive capabilities are always one step ahead of cyber enemies:

Speakers:

Dr. Kathleen L. Kiernan, CEO of Kiernan Group
Ronald E. Plesco, Jr., Esq. CEO, National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance
Rob Schmidt, CEO, InfraGard National Members Alliance

Thursday, July 8, 2010 - 10:00am CDT

To register click here.

Ten Alleged Secret Agents Arrested in the United States Multi-year FBI Investigation Uncovers Network in the United States Tasked with Recruiting Sources and Collecting Information for Russia

The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

This case is the result of a multi-year investigation conducted by the FBI; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Counterespionage Section and the Office of Intelligence within the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/nyfo062810a.htm

Submitted by: E. Charles Sterling