of the FBI has participated in the development of local Weapons of Mass Destruction response plans. An important example of this is the recent development of a Metropolitan Medical Response Plan for the Denver Metropolitan Area and the ongoing development of a similar plan for Colorado Springs. These plans establish protocols and relationships between emergency medical, hazardous materials, police, fire, hospital, and emergency management agencies for the effective management of the medical resources during a Weapons of Mass Destruction event. Over the past few years the Denver Field Office has developed an exceptional working relationship with the Colorado National Guard 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, which is stationed at the Buckley Air Force Base outside of Denver. This full time National Guard team is trained in field detection and assessment of chemical, biological and radiological materials, and has worked closely with FBI Denver's Hazardous Materials Response Team in the evaluation of numerous potential Weapons of Mass Destruction events. The 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team is also working with the Denver Field Office to field advanced detection equipment in a pilot program which is unique within the FBI. Working Groups In December 1998, FBI Denver took a leadership role in the establishment of what is known as the Colorado Counter Terrorism Advisory Council. This group, which has met monthly since its inception, includes representatives from a variety of state and federal agencies who have primary responsibility for response to Weapons of Mass Destruction issues within the State of Colorado. In addition to the FBI its members include the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado National Guard 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Public Health Service, the Department of Energy, and recently the Colorado Office of Preparedness, Security and Fire Safety. This group has established interagency notification and response protocols which have greatly enhanced our ability to efficiently share information and provide response resources. Based upon the success of the Colorado Counter Terrorism Advisory Council, a similar working group has been established in Utah and one is in the process of being established in Wyoming. Operational Protocols The Denver Field Office responded to its first anthrax threat letter in 1998. Numerous operational issues, including collection of hazardous evidence, field screening, and laboratory analysis, had not yet been fully developed. FBI Denver worked with its federal, state and local response partners to establish more efficient operational protocols, which were further refined by the continuing but sporadic threats and incidents that occurred from 1998 to September 2001. During that time, we enhanced our ability to evaluate the credibility of Weapons of Mass Destruction threats, established relationships with local, state and federal hazardous materials teams, and created agreements for laboratory testing of chemical, biological and radiological agents. FBI Denver also formalized our working relationships with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Wyoming Department of Health, both designated as members of the Laboratory Response Network and our primary contacts for analysis of potential biological agents. Since the deliberate distribution of anthrax in the United States Mail during September and October 2001, FBI Denver has responded to more than 800 telephonic requests for assistance concerning potential Weapons of Mass Destruction terrorism, primarily regarding anthrax. In addition, FBI Denver provided field responses to potential Weapons of Mass Destruction incidents on more than 100 occasions, and opened more than 30 criminal investigations. The ability to handle this many incidents was a direct result of the partnerships developed among the federal, state and local response community. NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION CENTER In 1997, the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection published a report concluding that the interdependence of critical infrastructures and the reliance on new information technologies "have created a new dimension of vulnerability, which, when combined with an emerging constellation of threats, poses unprecedented national risk" and recommended the establishment of a new national structure to address the problem. On February 26, 1998, The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) located at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. was established to address the cyber and physical threats to our Nation's critical infrastructures. The NIPC's mission is to detect, deter, warn of, respond to, and investigate malicious acts, both physical and cyber, that threaten or target the Nation's critical infrastructures. The NIPC is the national focal point for gathering information on threats to the infrastructure. These critical infrastructures are banking and finance, electric power, emergency services, government operations, transportation, and water supply systems. The NIPC is composed of representatives from the FBI; Departments of Defense, Energy and Commerce; the Intelligence Community; other federal agencies; state and local governments; and the private sector. To carry out NIPC's mission the FBI developed the Key Asset Program (KAP) and the InfraGard Program (IP). The Denver Field Office of the FBI initiated the KAP in April 2000. The purpose of the program is to identify the key assets in the states of Colorado and Wyoming that are the critical infrastructures of this region and, if attacked, would result in a major loss or disruption to the critical services these infrastructures provide to the residents of Colorado and Wyoming or the Nation. The goal of the KAP is to enhance the cyber and physical security of these key assets by working with private industry and other federal, state and local governments. The FBI also initiated the InfraGard Program. This program addresses the need for a private and public sector information sharing mechanism at both national and local levels. Individuals from private industry join local InfraGard chapters such as the one started by the Denver Field Office of the FBI in November 2000. Currently, the Denver Chapter has 75 members. By participating in local chapters members have access to an Alert Network to voluntarily report actual or attempted illegal intrusions, disruptions and vulnerabilities of information systems; can access a Secure InfraGard Web site with recent information about infrastructure protection; and can call the Help Desk at the NIPC to ask questions about the program. After the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, the FBI Denver InfraGard Chapter conducted or co-sponsored the following events to educate the community about critical infrastructure issues: Meeting concerning infrastructure matters with the United States Co-hosted the "Secure The Rockies" Conference with the University of Denver, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center. This was a 3 day conference attended by approximately 200 individuals from all sectors. Keynote speakers were Ronald L. Dick, Director, National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), and Cyber Division Deputy Assistant Director James Farnan. The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board Town/Hall meeting discussing the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace. The keynote speaker was Richard Clarke, Special Advisor to the President for Cyberspace Security. Denver InfraGard Chapter quarterly meeting with the topic Information Security Awareness Seminar for Banking and Finance FBI Denver/Colorado National Guard meeting with Key After the terrorist attack on September 11, the FBI consolidated its resources devoted to various programs related to infrastructure protection matters and computer crimes into a Cyber Crime Division at FBI headquarters with special agents assigned to cyber crime squads in field offices. The mission of the special agents assigned to these squads is to investigate violations of federal laws in which the internet, computer systems, or networks are the targets of terrorist organizations, foreign government sponsored intelligence operations or other criminal activity. Denver's Cyber Crime Squad includes technically trained agents in the area of computer intrusion and a member of the FBI's Computer Analysis Response Team (CART). The CART member is responsible for computer forensic examinations. The CART representative also works jointly with the Colorado Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory (CRCFL) located in Douglas County. The CRCFL serves the law enforcement community by providing computer forensic examination services. By combining the CART and CRCFL resources the FBI is able to evaluate computer intrusions and other computer-related criminal activity in the State of Colorado. This squad also administer the Key Asset and InfraGard programs to better educate the local communities about threats to our critical infrastructures and how to assist the FBI in preventing future terrorist attacks. CONCLUSION 10 Terrorism represents a continuing threat to the United States, and as the Lead Federal Agency for response to a Weapons of Mass Destruction threat or incident, the FBI must remain prepared to tackle this formidable challenge. In order to effectively and efficiently respond to the threat, the Denver Field Office of the FBI continues to enhance its Counterterrorism Program. The Denver Field Office of the FBI retains its long-term commitment to working as a partner with state and local government in preparing to meet the challenge of a Weapons of Mass Destruction terrorist incident. Chairman Horn, this concludes my prepared remarks. I would like to express my appreciation to this subcommittee's examination of the issue of counterterrorism preparedness and I look forward to responding to any questions. |