Succeeding by focusing on the mission

One of the most frequent questions I get about InfraGardNCR is some variation of "What makes your chapter successful?" Invariably my answer comes back to one thing - our Board, Sector Chiefs and FBI Coordinators are all focused on the mission of InfraGard. Here's a quick refresher:

"The mission of InfraGard is to promote ongoing dialogue and timely communication between members and the FBI specifically concerning the security of, vulnerabilities in, and threats to critical infrastructure entities."

So how are we fulfilling the InfraGard mission in 2019? Three examples immediately come to mind: (1) webinars and seminars; (2) valuable partnerships; and (3) developing platforms for two-way, real-time information sharing.

Probably the most frequent way our chapter promotes dialogue between members and the FBI about vulnerabilities and threats is through webinars and seminars. This year, we are on track to hold at least one such event per month with a typical audience ranging from 500 - 1,000 people for each event. This means that in 2019, we will reach up to 12,000 people (or more) with training organized by InfraGardNCR. Topics cover a broad spectrum including civil unrest, bomb threats, emerging cyber weapons, threats to the energy sector and grid, active shooter, information sharing, and more.

Of course, we wouldn't be able to hold so many webinars and seminars without valuable partnerships with the FBI, other government agencies, and the private sector. In 2019, InfraGardNCR is partnering with Whelan Security to hold a speaker series (in person events), as well as the Southeast Regional InfraGard Leadership Summit and an Information Sharing Initiative in June (that includes numerous additional partners as speakers). We are also partnering with the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) of metropolitan Washington and Allied Universal on a "Be a good neighbor" quarterly webinar series focusing on threats to the commercial real estate sector.

Another initiative happening in 2019 that's focused on timely communication about threats is development of two-way, real-time information sharing platforms for cyber professionals in the InfoSec and financial services arenas to promote sharing of best practices, emerging threats and trends and indicators of compromise in real-time. These new platforms will be modeled after the Cyber Health Working Group (CHWG), which was started in 2015 by the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO), the InfraGard National Members Alliance, the InfraGardNCR chapter and the Executive Partnership for Integrated Collaboration (EPIC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Charlotte, NC. The group has grown from ~200 members to over ~1200 members and we hope the IT and financial services groups will be just as popular.

Of course, there is even more happening in 2019 - these are just a few examples of how our chapter is focused on the InfraGard mission. If you have an idea for a good webinar or seminar or know of an organization we should develop a partnership with, please reach out to a member of the Board, a Sector Chief, or our FBI coordinators with your ideas and we'll be glad to work with you to see if we can make it happen.

Of course, none of the good work our chapter is doing would be possible without you - our members. Thank you for being an active member of InfraGardNCR and for staying focused on the mission of protecting critical infrastructure.

With best regards,

Steve