3.13.24 > Elizabeth Stevens
Back in 2013, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent Liz Lehrkamp was assigned to the cyber squad and served as the liaison to the InfraGard program. Liz joined the Cyber Security Summit to add government perspective alongside academic, military and private sector advisory board representatives, and that relationship continues today via FBI Private Sector Coordinator / Special Agent John Bonhage. Many members from the InfraGard have presented at and served as Think Tank Advisors to the Summit, including current President Tim Herman and past presidents Mike Johnson, Jerrod Montoya, and yours truly. Partnerships are at the heart of the Summit and its many industry partner organizations. This week’s blog takes a look at the InfraGard. Membership is free, so consider applying today https://www.infragard.org/Application/General/NewApplication. -Elizabeth Stevens, Cyber Security Summit | The Event Group
InfraGard is a unique partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and individuals in the private sector for the protection of U.S. critical infrastructure and the American people. As one of the nation’s largest public/private partnerships, InfraGard connects critical infrastructure owners, operators, and stakeholders with the FBI to provide security-related education, networking, and information-sharing.
InfraGard members include corporate security managers, directors and C-suite executives, cybersecurity and IT professionals, chief information security officers, financial services executives, healthcare professionals, emergency managers, military and government officials, academics, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and more — all dedicated to contributing industry-specific insight to advance national security. Tens of thousands of members share one goal: to protect critical infrastructure, the foundation of American life.
Established in 1996, the InfraGard has more than 70 local InfraGard Member Alliances (IMA), who are represented nationally by the InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA). Each IMA or “chapter” is affiliated with an FBI Field Office and supported by a Special Agent Private Sector Coordinator. John Bonhage is the Special Agent Private Sector Coordinator for the Minneapolis FBI, and serves as the liaison to the Minnesota as well as South Dakota and North Dakota IMA organizations. Tens of thousands of members share one goal: to protect critical infrastructure, the foundation of American life.
The InfraGard enhances our nation’s collective ability to identify and mitigate threats to critical infrastructure by fostering collaboration, education, and information-sharing through a robust private sector/government partnership. To accomplish this mission, InfraGard promotes ongoing dialogue and timely communication between its members and the FBI through local, regional, and national programs. This two-way exchange of information equips InfraGard members with the knowledge, information, and resources to protect their respective organizations, while the FBI benefits from private sector engagement, insight, and expertise that can help prevent terrorism, cybercrime, espionage, and more.
- Membership Benefits:
- FBI and other government agency threat advisories, intelligence bulletins, analytical reports, and vulnerability assessments.
- Presentations and trainings by the FBI and other government agencies.
- Direct engagement with the FBI, other government agencies, and private sector experts at the local level.
- Access to a members-only web portal that supports information-sharing and collaboration.
- Access to subject matter experts within each critical infrastructure sector through special interest groups (SIGs).
- Invitations to regional and national InfraGard events.
- Registration discounts for selected conferences, seminars, and summits.