Private-public partnership to promote cyber safety

Published 8 October 2008

New consortium to study ways to improve personal identification management on the Internet to combat crimes such as identity theft and fraud, narcotics and human trafficking, and terrorism

A consortium of government, corporate, and academic institutions have together created a new nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting cyber crimes. The new public-private Center for Applied Identity Management Research will study ways to improve personal identification management on the Internet to combat crimes such as identity theft and fraud, narcotics and human trafficking, and terrorism. Among the group members are Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin Corp., Chantilly, Virginia-based identity theft tech company Intersections Inc., Armonk, New York-based IBM Corp., Pasadena, California-based Cogent Systems Inc., New York-based LexisNexis, San Francisco-based Visa Inc., and the Secret Service. Other members include the U.S. Marshals Service, Identity Theft Assistance Corp. (ITAC), Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), as well as Wells Fargo & Co., Fair Isaac, Dragnet Solutions, ID Experts, and University of Texas at Austin.

“In spite of our recent successful investigations both domestically and internationally, cyber crime remains a substantial threat that continues to evolve and attack our financial systems,” Michael Merritt, assistant director for the Secret Service Office of Investigations, said in a statement. “Successfully combating emerging identity crimes requires that the Secret Service and law enforcement forge and enhance partnerships with industry, academic and research organizations.”

The group says its research efforts will initially concentrate on:

  • Public Safety: Identity theft, cyber crime, computer crime, organized criminal groups, document fraud and sexual predator detection
  • National Security: Cyber security and cyber defense, human trafficking and illegal immigration, terrorist tracking and financing.
  • Financial and Corporate Fraud: Mortgage fraud and other financial crimes, data breaches, e-commerce fraud, insider threats and health care fraud.
  • Individual Protection: Identity theft and fraud