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PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR TOM CORBETT, FBI, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND UNITED KINGDOM OFFICIALS TO ADDRESS GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATION ON FIGHTING CYBER THREATS

Forum to Focus on Steps Industry and Government Must Take to Address Cyber Threats at National, State and Local Levels  

Pittsburgh, PA, April 23, 2012 – The National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) will host, on Thursday, April 26, from 12:00-1:30 p.m., at Heinz Field, a luncheon forum entitled “The Global Partnership:  How Government and Industry are Mitigating Cyber Threats”.

The forum will examine the state of government and industry collaboration on cyber threats and shed light on current collaboration between the U.S., the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom.  NCFTA is holding the forum in conjunction with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Pittsburgh Technology Council, UK Trade and Investment and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

Who: The forum will bring together a wide variety of government and industry subject matter experts who will discuss how a public/private partnership in the fight against cyber threats is being leveraged to help protect our global, state and local economic interests:

The Honorable Tom Corbett

Governor, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Philip Barton

Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Washington

Sir Ian Andrews

Chair, Serious Organised Crime Agency (UK)

William G. Ross

Unit Chief, Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, Homeland Security Investigations

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

FBI Speaker, TBD

Dr. Phyllis Schneck

Chairwoman, NCFTA, and Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Public Sector, McAfee

What: The continued evolution and sophistication of cyber threats has become an issue that affects us all, from the world’s largest nations right down to the local small businesses around the corner. The NCFTA luncheon forum marks the expansion of an existing partnership with the United Kingdom’s Serious Organised Crime Agency, who has posted an officer to Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania already has a strong international trade relationship with the United Kingdom, as the state is one of the top U.S. destinations for British companies and investors. In addition, the United Kingdom is Pennsylvania’s seventh largest market worldwide, with exports totaling $1.7 billion per year.

Where: Heinz Field, West Club Lounge, 900 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

When: Thursday, April 26, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Register: For members of the press please click here to register to attend

About NCFTA:

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly complex and international. A cyber threat can quickly grow into a widespread breach, resulting in online identity theft, intellectual property theft, or brand devaluation. That is why addressing cyber threats has become increasingly comprehensive. Organizations must rapidly identify and leverage the most complete intelligence, which makes collaboration between private industry, academia, and law enforcement essential to their effectiveness. The National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance (NCFTA) unites more than 1200 subject matter experts (SMEs) from the public and private sectors in a worldwide network with the goal of identifying, mitigating and neutralizing cyber crime.

The NCFTA enlists SMEs from hundreds of stakeholder organizations to share real-time research regarding today’s global cyber threats. This unique collaboration also supports the development of joint proactive strategies to better identity, mitigate and ultimately neutralize that threat. As part of its expanding base of supporters, the NCFTA currently has formal partnership/agreements with US & International private sector organizations and US and international law enforcement (LE) or regulatory agencies.

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Once the criminals have verified the amount in the account, they request that funds be sent to bank accounts in the US, Australia, and Malaysia. Some of the funds sent to US and Australian accounts have ultimately been sent to Malaysian accounts. Some of the money mules were recruited by romance scams on dating websites. Banks, brokerage firms, and credit unions of all sizes have been affected by this scam.

Please see http://www.ic3.gov/media/2012/EmailFraudWireTransferAlert.pdf for additional information on this scam and guidance on how to report such incidents to law enforcement.