Federal, State, Local, and Now Civilians Maybe Sharing Information about You

[Guest Chandler]

Since November 2008, more than 7 million people have applied for criminal background checks in order to buy weapons. And as far as the Obama administration is concerned, buying guns equals "weapons stockpiling," buying ammo equals "hoarding of ammunition," and expressing concern about Congress passing gun control legislation qualifies YOU as part of an "extremist group."

 

 

According to the MIAC report, if you oppose any of the following, you could qualify for being profiled as a potential dangerous "militia member":

 

The United Nations

The New World Order

Gun Control

The violation of the Posse Comitatus Act

The Federal Reserve

The Income Tax

The Ammunition and Accountability Act

A possible Constitutional Convention

The North American Union

Universal Service Program

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Abortion

Illegal Immigration

 

 

MIAC Strategic Report (which was confirmed as being legitimate) warned citizens to stay away from traveling through or to Missouri for fears of being identified as being a domestic terrorist. The authenticity of the report was apparently confirmed by Lt. John Hotz, the Assistant Director of the Public Information and Education Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who claimed that the report is derived purely from publicly available trend data on militias. The MIAC Strategic Report was distributed to law enforcement officials all across the state of Missouri. And it wasn't until the state government was FLOODED with protests from patriotic Americans across the country that they finally came out and retracted the MIAC report. As of MARCH 27, 2009 the entire report was scrapped and letters of apology were sent to Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.

 

The Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) provides a public safety partnership consisting of local, state and federal agencies, as well as the public sector and private entities that will collect, evaluate, analyze, and disseminate information and intelligence to the agencies tasked with Homeland Security responsibilities in a timely, effective, and secure manner.

The Missouri information Analysis Center is tasked with the collection, collation, analysis and dissemination of information to appropriate agencies and individuals, in an effort to mitigate criminal and terrorist activities and respond to natural and man-made disasters in a way that enhances public safety. Equally important is our mission to safeguard the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of any individual. Toward that end, the MIAC administers the Missouri Statewide Police Intelligence Network (MoSPIN) and facilitates the flow of information through a network of in-house analysts. Although MIAC administers MoSPIN, it is important to note that MIAC and MoSPIN are not one in the same. They are complimentary programs designed to individually assist other agencies in the public safety effort. The end result is enhancement of the public safety effort and the safeguarding of individual privacy, civil liberties, and civil rights.

 

http://www.miacx.org/

[Guest LAW_*]

What are the privacy implications of the State, Local and Regional Fusion Center Initiative, established by the 9/11 Commission Act

 

A fusion center is place meant to facilitate communications between federal, state and local law enforcement intelligence analysts to collect, analyze and share reports of suspicious activity. Civil rights advocates fear the fusion center could enable unwarranted spying on protesters exercising their First Amendment rights at the convention.

 

Fusion centers started organically around the country. State and local law enforcement were frustrated with the Joint Terrorism Task Force’s ability to break down the classification rules and actually share information with them, so they started creating their own networks to share state police information. And once the federal government saw those and saw them working, they started pouring in resources and sort of changing the nature of them to really encourage them to—state and local law enforcement authorities and these other entities in the fusion centers—to become intelligence collectors for the intelligence community, the federal intelligence community.

 

In the past it was easy for the civil liberties and privacy communites to focus their efforts on Federal intelligence programs and get those things stopped. This is much more difficult, because the federal government is saying, no, these aren’t federal entities, they’re state entities. So, you know, instead of one focal point, there have to be fifty, and each one is actually different, because they did grow up organically. And not all of them are engaged in the same sorts of behavior, so it’s very difficult to generalize about what’s going on. So it’s really incumbent upon every local community to start asking questions of their local police departments and their local government officials to find out exactly what’s happening in their neighborhood.

 

Section 222 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, states that the Chief Privacy Officer shall assure that information is handled in full compliance with the fair information practices as set out in the Privacy Act of 1974. In response to this obligation, the DHS Privacy Office developed a set of Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) from the underlying concepts of the Privacy Act to encompass the full breadth and diversity of the information and interactions of DHS. They are: Transparency; Individual Participation; Purpose Specification; Data Minimization; Use Limitation; Data Quality and Integrity; Security; and Accountability and Auditing.

 

Despite these efforts, the Privacy Office has identified a number of risks to privacy presented by the fusion center program:

 

1. Justification for fusion centers

2. Ambiguous Lines of Authority, Rules, and Oversight

3. Participation of the Military and the Private Sector

4. Data Mining

5. Excessive Secrecy

6. Inaccurate or Incomplete Information

7. Mission Creep

[Guest Doomsday]

Infragard Maryland Member Alliance

 

InfraGard is a non-profit alliance created with the goal of increasing our Nation's security through enhanced awareness, communication, and cooperation between the companies and agencies that comprise the critical infrastructure of our country. The Maryland Chapter, started in 1999, now has over 700 registered members, who meet every other month at different venues across the Maryland region.

 

Chapter activity involves presentations, training, and plenty of active discussion. Our entire country benefits indirectly from the InfraGard environment; our members benefit directly via the Chapter programs and other members. The Maryland InfraGard Board works hard to produce the best program available for their chapter, including top-notch speakers from both the public and private sector, specific training, and lively 'break-out' discussion. In addition, the unique networking opportunity encourages the correlation and dissemination of security events and best practices. InfraGard is truly member-run, and everyone is encouraged to actively participate in all aspects, including volunteering for one of our many member-led committees.

 

http://www.mdinfragard.net

[Guest Doomsday]

The InfraGard Nations Capital Members Alliance (INCMA) exists to serve our growing network of subject matter experts in the National Capital Region (NCR).

 

It is our mission to improve and extend information sharing between private industry and the government, particularly the FBI, when it comes to Critical National Infrastructure. As a result, timely intelligence is delivered, cases are initiated, vital economic assets are protected and lasting relationships are formed.”

 

Our 600+ membership is voluntary yet exclusive and is comprised of individuals from both the public and private sector. The main goal of the Washington, DC Nations Capital Chapter of InfraGard is to promote ongoing dialogue, education, community outreach and timely communication between public and private members. Furthermore, to achieve and sustain risk-based target levels of capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from all hazards or events, and to minimize their impact on lives, property, and the economy.

 

InfraGard members gain access to vital information and education that enables them to in turn provide assistance to prevent and address terrorism and other transnational crimes. InfraGard members are provided threat advisories, alerts and warnings and access to a robust secure web-VPN site and e-mail. InfraGard also helps promote an effective liaison with local, state and federal agencies, to include the Department of Homeland Security.

 

The FBI retained InfraGard as an FBI sponsored program, and will work closely with DHS in support of the CIP mission. The FBI will further facilitate InfraGard's continuing role in CIP activities and further develop InfraGard's ability to support the FBI's investigative mission, especially as it pertains to counterterrorism and cyber crimes.

 

Benefits of joining InfraGard include:

 

> Network with other companies that help maintain our national infrastructure.

> Quick Fact: 350 of our nation's Fortune 500 have a representative in InfraGard.

> Gain access to an FBI secure communication network complete with VPN encrypted website, webmail, listservs, message boards and much more.

> Learn time-sensitive, infrastructure related security information from government sources such as DHS and the FBI.

> Get invitations and discounts to important training seminars and conferences.

> Best of all, there is no cost to join InfraGard

 

http://www.infragardnationscapital.org

[Guest LAW_*]

InfraGard is “a child of the FBI,” says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.

 

InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.

 

“Then the FBI cloned it,” says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years.

 

InfraGard itself is still an FBI operation, with FBI agents in each state overseeing the local InfraGard chapters. (There are now eighty-six of them.) The alliance is a nonprofit organization of private sector InfraGard members.

 

“We are the owners, operators, and experts of our critical infrastructure, from the CEO of a large company in agriculture or high finance to the guy who turns the valve at the water utility,” says Schneck, who by day is the vice president of research integration at Secure Computing.

 

“At its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector,” the InfraGard website states. “InfraGard chapters are geographically linked with FBI Field Office territories.”

 

http://www.progressive.org/mag_rothschild0308

[Luke_Wilbur]

I knew nothing about this.

[Guest Chandler]

The El Rancho High School campus was transformed into the scene of an organized terrorist attack Saturday as part of a training exercise for local, county and federal agencies.

 

The daylong "School Terrorism Awareness and Response" exercise brought officials from all levels of government together to train side by side for what to do should a terrorist attack ever happen at an American high school.

 

"It's kind of like preparing for an all-star ball game," said David Banks, director of the Center for Asymmetric Warfare. The center along with the Naval Postgraduate School and a coalition of private sector interests known as the Los Angeles and San Diego InfraGard Member Alliance hosted the event.

 

http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_12388691

[Guest Rocket 455]

Good luck to anyone trying to oppose RFID ... ALL commercial and General Aviation (GA) have these devices - even down to the "lowly" Cessna 152.

 

"According to the MIAC report, if you oppose any of the following, you could qualify for being profiled as a potential dangerous "militia member":

 

The United Nations

The New World Order

Gun Control

The violation of the Posse Comitatus Act

The Federal Reserve

The Income Tax

The Ammunition and Accountability Act

A possible Constitutional Convention

The North American Union

Universal Service Program

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Illegal Immigration..... "

[Luke_Wilbur]

I hope InfraGard National Members Alliance has the good sense to obide and follow nationals rules.

 

What happened to public debate? The Power of the People.

 

Now everyone is trying to find the best answer and they do not even no what the question is?

 

A little muscle flexing by the higher ups and you could be demoted to the lower part of society.

 

The difference between this and commercially private networks is that taxpayers are paying for something they did not ask for.

 

In essence the government is forming a militia (broadening it military police) to civilians that take its oath of secrecy.

 

This is very dangerous. It shifts the balance of the United States Trifacta (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial).

Edited May 20, 2009 by Luke_Wilbur

[Guest Seraphic]

Infragard is an open book.

 

What is InfraGard?

InfraGard is a collaborative effort between the FBI and local communities. InfraGard is an association of government and business leaders that meet regularly and freely share their ideas and expertise to better protect America’s infrastructures.

 

How many InfraGard Chapters are there?

There are 86 chapters

 

How many InfraGard members are there?

There are over 30,500+ members as of April 2009.

 

How many people are in each Chapter?

It depends on the chapter. Membership ranges anywhere from 50 to 700 people.

 

Where can I find a list of the Chapters?

Go to www.infragardmembers.org for a list of the 86 Chapters and contact information for the local chapter Presidents and FBI Coordinators.

 

Do the Chapters each have their own websites?

Some Chapters have their own websites. Links to them are provided in the chapter list on http://www.infragardmembers.org.

 

Does each state have one Chapter?

No. It depends on several factors including the geographic location of people who want to participate and the variety of industries in the state. For example, Florida has six chapters while Alaska has only one.

 

Who can join InfraGard?

The FBI establishes the criteria for membership. In general, any US citizen who is committed to the protection of our nation’s critical infrastructure may join.

 

Who are the current members of InfraGard?

The current membership is primarily made up of the business leaders from industries that represent critical infrastructures (transportation, energy, water, etc.) and government agencies.

 

How do you become a member?

Go to http://www.infragardmembers.org (INMA website) and click "Join InfraGard" to access the application. Fill out the application and select the Chapter with which you want to be affiliated. Mail it to the FBI Coordinator (an FBI agent) whose address is listed at the end of the application. The Coordinator's address is generated by the chapter you chose.

 

Is there a background check?

No. But the FBI agent will do a records check.

 

Do you need a security clearance to join InfraGard?

No. You will not be exposed to classified materials as an InfraGard member.

 

How much does it cost to join InfraGard?

It costs nothing to become an InfraGard member. Some IMAs/chapters, however, may choose to assess a local fee that goes toward conducting meetings, paying for speakers, etc. For example, the Los Angeles IMA charges an annual fee of $50.

 

How are local Chapter activities funded?

Some funds come from the FBI through the local FBI Coordinator. Other funds come from grants or sponsorships to the IMA. Most funds are represented by “in kind” contributions of volunteer time or services (meeting space, speaking, etc.).

 

Are foreign citizens allowed to become InfraGard members?

No, but the IMA (the private sector side of the local chapter) may choose to allow foreign nationals to be a "foreign affiliate" or "guest" of the IMA.

 

What are the benefits of InfraGard membership in general?

Members benefit by meeting and interacting with people from industries outside of their own as well as with government representatives (FBI, DHS, state Homeland Security, etc.). In addition, you have access to the FBI's InfraGard secure network.

 

What happens at InfraGard Chapter meetings?

Chapters generally host a guest speaker who presents on topics that are of interest to the Chapter members. These topics include, for example, pandemic outbreaks, cyber vulnerabilities, and continuity planning. Additionally, time is allowed for the members to interact with each other for informal discussions.

 

How many people attend the meetings?

Meeting attendance depends on the chapter, the topic, etc. Generally, about 25% to 50% of the total local membership attends any one given meeting. In addition, FBI agents and local FBI management may attend these meetings as well as the local DHS Protective Security Advisor (PSA) and other state and local government representatives.

 

Do you have to be an InfraGard member to attend an InfraGard meeting?

No. In general, InfraGard meetings are open. Some chapters, however, may opt to have members-only meetings.

 

How often do local chapters meet?

Some chapters meet quarterly, some meet bi-monthly, some meet monthly. It depends on the activity level of the particular chapter.

 

When do they meet?

The chapters may meet during the day (morning, lunch or afternoon meeting), all day, or in the evening. Some chapters may vary their meeting times in order to accommodate more members' or speakers’ schedules.

 

Is there a fee to attend the meetings?

It depends on the chapter and the event. Chapters may charge a nominal fee to cover lunch costs, speaker’s fees, etc. However, most speakers are volunteers and if there is lunch it may be covered by a sponsor so the event is free.

 

How are the local chapters structured?

It varies but usually a Board of Directors and Officers are elected by the members annually. The IMAs each have their own Bylaws but are required to abide by some basic rules set forth by the National Bylaws. Although it is a national organization, the strength of the program is in the activities of the local chapters across the country.

[Guest LAW_*]

If accepted as a member of InfraGard, Applicant may receive information that is sensitive and not publicly available (“Protected Information”). Protected Information may be provided by or through the InfraGard National Organization, InfraGard chapters, InfraGard members, partners of InfraGard, or other sources, and will be marked

accordingly. If accepted as an InfraGard member, Applicant understands and agrees to the following terms regarding Protected Information

 

1. Participation is Voluntary. Applicant is not obligated as a condition of InfraGard membership to disclose any information to the InfraGard National Organization or any InfraGard chapter, partner, or member.

 

2. Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure. Protected Information is to be regarded as Business Confidential and shall not be disclosed beyond its intended scope.

 

3. No guarantee of fitness. Protected Information is provided as a service to InfraGard members and may be unevaluated and unverified. As such Protected Information is not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or actionable.

 

4. Submission in Good Faith. Applicant agrees that it will not submit information which it knows at the time of submission to be false, and that it will submit information only to further InfraGard’s stated purposes.

 

5. Federal Agencies will exercise care to protect information. To the extent allowed by law, information received from InfraGard members that is marked “InfraGard Protected Information” shall be protected from agency disclosure under 5 USC §552 (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”)), and from publication, divulgence, or release in any other manner pursuant to the prohibitions of the Trade Secrets Act, 18 USC §1905.

 

Applicant understands and agrees that InfraGard is not to be commercially exploited as a forum to market products or services and that doing so may result in the revocation of Applicant’s membership in InfraGard. Applicant, if accepted as an InfraGard member, agrees to act in a manner consistent with the InfraGard National By-

Laws, as the ByLaws may be amended from time to time, as well as any other duly enacted national requirements of InfraGard.

 

Applicant requirements:

• US Citizen by birth as defined by 8 USC §1401-§1409, OR US Citizen by Naturalization

as defined by 8 USC §1421-§1459;

• Over 18 years of age on the date of completion of this Application;

• Consent to a records check that yields a satisfactory result as determined by the FBI in its sole discretion,

OR posses a Qualifying Substitute;

• Consent to periodic re-confirmation of membership requirements;

• Have sponsorship from an existing InfraGard member, chapter, or partner organization;

• Agree to and complete this InfraGard Membership Application Form;

• Any further requirements (if more restrictive) mandated by the local chapter and approved by the FBI.

 

Applicant acknowledges that their affiliation with InfraGard may be disclosed by InfraGard to another InfraGard member, chapter, or partner. Applicant may choose to protect from public disclosure their affiliation with InfraGard, and request that InfraGard and InfraGard Partners also protect from public disclosure the Applicant’s affiliation with InfraGard to the full extent permitted by law.

[Guest LAW_*]

PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT AND CONSENT

 

Authority:

Collection of this information is authorized under 28 CFR. § 0.85.

Principal Purpose and Routine Uses

 

The information collected on this form will be used for the principal purpose of conducting security risk assessments on InfraGard Members and applicants. As part of this assessment, the collected data may also be used to assist in determining approval, denial, revocation or renewal of access to the InfraGard Secure web site and the authorization to receive InfraGard sensitive information. Information provided by me will be protected and used in strict compliance with the Privacy Act and the routine uses most recently published in the Federal Register for the FBI's Central Records System (Justice/FBI-002) and the FBIs Blanket Routine Uses (Justice/FBI-BRU).

 

Social Security Account Number

 

Your Social Security Account Number (SSAN) is requested to check criminal, immigration, national security and other electronic databases. Because other people may have the same name and birth date, your SSAN will be used to facilitate accurate identification and to help eliminate the possibility of misidentification of individuals for whom

a security risk assessment or database check is being conducted.

 

Effects of Nondisclosure or Falsification

 

Completion of this application and provision of your SSAN is voluntary. However, failure to provide the requested information may result in your application being rejected for membership in InfraGard or your membership revoked. Knowingly falsifying or concealing information requested on this form will result in your application being rejected

or your membership revoked. In addition, Title 18 Section 1001 of the U.S. Code provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact may under certain circumstances constitute a felony resulting in fines and/or imprisonment.

 

Consent

 

By signing an InfraGard Membership Application Form, I hereby authorize the FBI to obtain and verify any information relevant to assessing my suitability to access, possess, use, receive or transfer sensitive InfraGard Information. This information may include, but is not limited to, law enforcement and intelligence information. I further authorize the FBI to disclose information obtained in connection with my security risk assessment in order to verify the accuracy or completeness of the information I have provided to the FBI. Other than to verify my information, I do not authorize the FBI to disclose for the purpose of conducting my security risk assessment information provided by me on this form absent my further written consent.

 

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

 

The information required on this form is in accordance with the Paper Work Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this information is to assist the FBI in security risk assessments for entities and individuals who are InfraGard Members or applicants. The estimated average burden associated with this collection of information is 20 minutes,

depending on circumstances. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate and suggestions for reducing this burden should be directed to

 

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Records/Information Dissemination

Section, 935 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 920535.

[Guest Human_*]

Law so you want to join?

[Guest LAW_*]

Law so you want to join?

 

I want to know more about it. Are you a member?

[Guest HUMAN_*]

Just maybe government CAN'T come up with every solution out there "Law". Hey! I'm investing in mortuaries. Never thought I would, and I mean NEVER , ya know "Universal Health Care".

 

I never thought that I would see the democrats’ cash out on the General Public too, and they have.

I have had my play "Law".

 

Doing whats right for the Country is very hard. I got what the country needed, but it wasn't what I wanted. Country First. You can play "though I must say; You really got to improve your game there"

your game of chess.

 

I got my answer on foreign policy in here, and the answer is, nothing is changing. It was not the answer that I was looking for, but I still got the answer. The real experts in the field are being left out.

 

I don't need to get even with the democrats; all I have to do is remain silent.

 

The reason that I won’t join them is? the amount of information that I have "WOW", It would be like

Opening up a SuperMarket to Starving kids. They are going to be grabbing indiscriminately, and I can't do that.

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I want to know more about it. Are you a member?