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The FBI Wants To Know About Your IT Skills

Posted by Soulskill on from the and-how-you-take-your-coffee dept.

AHuxley writes "The FBI, via the Office of Management and Budget, would like to find out more about your information technology expertise if you are part of InfraGard. Terms like 'practical utility' have been included in a 60-day emergency notice of information collection via the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Is your boss or cubicle colleague part of InfraGard? It's a private, non-profit organization run as a public-private partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Are they passing info back about you or your company?"

15 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. First post! by Godji · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The part I don't understand is why anyone would voluntarily become a part of InfraGrad and start "sharing information" about others in the first place.

    1. Re:First post! by woody.jesus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, if you are a member of InfraGrad and your boss isn't, then he suddenly has to be aware that you might snitch on him at any time. Now he has to treat you with some respect for a change! Or if the boss is already a party member, then as a fellow Infragrader, you'll be preferred for promotions and raises. Maybe you were a weak little sniveling rodent before, but now you're a member of INFOGRAD and you can strut around in your imaginary jackboots because you're just a little bit better than those common people!

      --
      "You never pushed a noun against a verb except to blow up something" (Spencer Tracey, 'Inherit the Wind')
    2. Re:First post! by FooAtWFU · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It seems aimed at big "IT Infrastructure" companies like ISPs, search engines and mail providers: a way to be in touch with these people in the event of "cyberterrorism" and systematic DOS/takeover attempts. It seems like a much better idea than waiting for something to happen and then have no idea who you're supposed to get in touch with about it. Knowing who to call in an emergency shouldn't have to be half the battle.

      --
      The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
    3. Re:First post! by trapnest · · Score: 4, Informative

      Of the three things you mentioned, only one is an acronym and thus only one should be ALL CAPS.
      Gestapo is a shortened version of "Geheime Staatspolizei"
      and Stasi is a shortened version of "Ministerium für Staatssicherheit"

  2. Funny stuff by oh2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lol, "Self-identified as IT specialists" indeed. Thats one funny document. What would they need that kind of information for ? To evaluate bragging rights ?

    --

    Now the world has gone to bed, Darkness won't engulf my head, I can see by infra-red, How I hate the night.

    1. Re:Funny stuff by finitimi · · Score: 4, Informative

      I am a member of InfraGard. In the past, our local FBI office has asked members of our chapter to self-identify their expertise in a particular IT specialty. I and others did so, and subsequently assisted them in a couple of criminal investigations. I think the FBI just wants to broaden and formalize their inventory of IT subject matter experts.

    2. Re:Funny stuff by The+FBI · · Score: 5, Funny

      The FBI has never contacted you in any way, shape or form, other than through this post. You are advised to retract your statement and apologize, otherwise legal action will be brought against you. Thank you.

      Have a nice day.

  3. Am I missing something? by Callandor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From the information provided, which is very little, it appears that the FBI is requesting information from people who have voluntarily joined an organization of IT professionals not just sponsored by but directly affiliated with the FBI. Why is this getting everyone's hackles up? It does not say that the information will be required of all members, nor does it say that members will be required to inform on their coworkers or companies. The ACM asks you about your IT skills, too. How is this different?

  4. Did any of you actually READ the link? by cravey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They only want information about the IT skills of their own members. How else would they process ONLY 28,000 responses at 2 minutes each? This doesn't even seem to apply to all Infragard members, only:

    "Public and private professionals
    self-identified as having information technology expertise."

    This would also be why it's called:
    "InfraGard Knowledge/Skills/
    Abilities Profile"

    IT seems kindof obvious that they might want to know what the skills of their own members are if they need assistance on something. Not like the FBI knows anything about technology.

    Perhaps they're looking for resources for the next time they have an IT issue/project they need to not fuck up. According to their website, you need a background check to join. Seems like a good way to build a database of IT professionals that you don't need to do background checks on after the fact.

    1. Re:Did any of you actually READ the link? by Svartalf · · Score: 5, Informative

      Most people didn't. They panicked when they saw the headline.

      I've known about InfraGard for a while now. It's more of a group of security consulting people, gathered together to try to get a solid handle on securing the infrastructure of the country.

      I might be in the minority here, but this request is probably more in line with gathering a list for the FBI to go contact when they need an independent contractor for something. Like you said...while there's some aspects of tech they've got a handle on, there's others including this sort of thing that they just simply don't- and I'm thinking they thought it might be useful to get a list of that class of individual and what they do so they know who to turn to for help when they need it.

      --
      I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
    2. Re:Did any of you actually READ the link? by Tisha_AH · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have taught classes to an InfraGuard chapter in my area, it is quite different than the scary statements that have been made by many.

      It is about being aware of your vulnerabilities and developing contingency plans and fairly basic security procedures to make it less easy for someone to mess with your infrastructure. Most of the folks who attend the InfraGuard monthly meetings are already in middle management and have been tasked with the chore of improving security. While pretty much anyone can participate there are levels to it. Some information is compartmentalized on a need to know basis when it comes to specific incidents or threats.

      --
      Tisha Hayes
  5. So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Disclaimer; I'm an Infragard member (have been for about 7 years). Why are they collecting this? Easy, they're public/private partnership that focuses on emergency response. "In the event", they want to know who within there membership has skills that may be needed. Don't like it, don't join (or quit). Don't want them to have your data, make them remove it (you have the legal right to do so). No conspiratorial aspect here.

  6. Re:Why is this necessarily a bad thing? by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What I find striking is the utter lack of information that the FBI's website gives about what Infragard is really about. They give few details about what sort of information they are looking for, and what sort of information they give back to their members. That alone makes it difficult for me to trust...

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  7. Re:Jesse Ventura by surmak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I sometimes wonder if I am the only one who when passing through an airport security checkpoint is the only one who is more afraid of the TSA than I am of the terrorists. I have a far greater fear of getting arrested for forgetting to remove a leatherman from my bag or not emptying my water bottle than I am afraid of the plane getting blown up be some nutcase.

  8. Re:Echoes of B5's "Night Watch" for IT? by baboo_jackal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just out of curiosity, when *are* you going to start holding Obama accountable for the state of things? It sounds to me like you've set up a perfect moving-goalpost situation where "badness" == "Bush's Legacy" whenever it's convenient.

    I'm definitely not a big fan of Republicans and their degenerate relationship with religious folks these days, but is it really productive to mask the bad behavior of one political party by blaming it on another?