Partnerships to Protect Cyberspace

Joining Forces
To Protect Cyberspace

10/24/08

Last week, our new top cyber exec Shawn Henry shared his analysis of the cyber threat with reporters—how it’s growing in sophistication, from two dozen nations taking an “aggressive interest” in stealing our secrets to new virtual gangs pooling their talents to launch coordinated attacks and crimes.

He also spoke of the partnerships that are emerging—often globally—to turn back the rising tide of cyber crime. One of our partners is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has declared October its fifth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month to help “educate the public on the shared responsibility of protecting cyberspace.”

A shared responsibility, indeed. And not just between the FBI and DHS and our many other government and law enforcement partners. But also with you…as one of the billions on the planet who’ve made cyberspace as a regular part of your life.

You can make a difference—and help protect your own systems at home and at the office—by taking these basic steps:

• Change your security passwords regularly, have a firewall in place on your computer, get the latest anti-virus software, and install current security patches for your computer’s operating system;
• Sign-up to receive e-mails with technical cyber security alerts, bulletins, tips from the DHS-run National Cyber Alert System;
• Sign up here to receive e-mails from the FBI on the latest e-scams and test your cyber fraud awareness to gain some valuable tips;
• Read our advice on keeping your children safe from “travelers” and from potential predators on social networking sites;
• If you’re in the cyber security field or an interested citizen, join your local InfraGard chapter to meet and share information with area business professionals, academics, and government experts; and
• Visit the website of the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) to get and share breaking information on cyber security and to learn more about securing your piece of cyberspace, whether you’re an individual, business, or government agency.

Also, take time to visit the FBI’s cyber webpage to learn more about how our cyber action teams, computer crimes task forces, Innocent Images program, and Internet Crime Complaint Center are playing vital roles in protecting cyberspace.

And visit the Department of Homeland Security’s webpage to find out more about its cyber operations—including the work of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications; the National Cyber Security Center; the Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Forces; and the Cyber Crime Center of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Through it all, our advice is simple: be crime smart when it comes to the Internet, this month and in the future.

Resources:
- Protect Your Workplace materials with practical cyber security guidance
- Common Internet frauds
- Internet Crime Complaint Center
- U.S. Department of Justice Cyber Crime & Intellectual Property Section
- U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team
- Project Safe Childhood Initiative
- The Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Hotline
- More “Be Crime Smart” protections