The FBI and the United States Secret Service today announced the agencies are hosting open house events at select field offices and other locations throughout the country to discuss cybersecurity issues with invited guests from the private sector. The open houses are being held in conjunction with the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University.

Cybersecurity requires significant engagement from the private sector given the majority of critical electronic infrastructure is not publicly owned. The cyber threats the nation faces are best addressed by public-private partnerships and information sharing.

Open house participants can watch live-streamed events at Stanford and meet and network with key law enforcement personnel from the FBI and Secret Service in their regions to foster a collaborative dialogue about cyber threats. In some areas, representatives from the United States Attorneys’ Offices and from other law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, will also take part in the open house events.

Among the events at Stanford is an international law enforcement panel featuring FBI Assistant Director Joseph M. Demarest, Cyber Division; Secret Service Assistant Director Ed Lowery, Office of Training; Director Jamie Saunders, National Cyber Crime, National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom; Bilal Sen, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and FireEye’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Mandia. Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, Criminal Division, will moderate the discussion.

Speaking at the New York open house this afternoon, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Diego Rodriguez said, “Partnerships with the private sector provide huge benefits for the law enforcement community. The networks we form are one of our most important resources in solving crimes and developing techniques to confront the threats we face as they continue to evolve and change. Our partners alert us to up-and-coming crime trends and provide us with information that helps us solve cases. Today’s event is just the beginning of a new push for cybersecurity collaboration.”

FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Diego Rodriguez

“The Secret Service will continue to work with its network of partners to dismantle organized criminal groups that seek to victimize American citizens or denigrate our financial infrastructure, regardless of geographic distance or borders,” said Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Sica. “In order to combat these dynamic threats, law enforcement agencies and the private sector must continue to adopt a proactive approach, and leverage the power of task force partnerships.”

The open house events will be held in:

• Atlanta
• Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas
• El Paso
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Los Angeles
• McAllen
• Miami
• Minneapolis
• New York City
• Pittsburgh
• San Antonio
• Seattle
• Tampa