As cyber threats against U.S. critical infrastructure continue to escalate, a new alliance between the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CyberRisk Collaborative aims to strengthen the nation’s collective defense through shared intelligence, leadership development, and accessible resources. The partnership blends InfraGard National’s decades-long mission of protecting critical infrastructure with CyberRisk Collaborative’s CISO-led, vendor-free model for knowledge sharing and professional growth.
What sets this collaboration apart is its focus on practical, community-driven solutions rather than theoretical frameworks, said Parham Eftekhari, EVP of Communities at CyberRisk Collaborative.
“The resources are developed by vendor-free working groups of CISOs and their teams who meet for 8–10 weeks and dig deep,” Eftekhari said. “This results in trusted, actionable artifacts that are based on what organizations and CISOs are doing, not based on theory.”
InfraGard members will now have access to a growing library of CISO-developed toolkits, one-on-one advisory sessions, and scholarships to major conferences such as InfoSec World and Identiverse—all designed to remove barriers to education and professional advancement. A centerpiece of the partnership is the 12-week Cybersecurity Leadership Development Program, which focuses not just on technical expertise but on cultivating soft skills like communication, stakeholder engagement, and board presentation.
For Sandy Moul, Executive Director of InfraGard National Members Alliance, the partnership represents a natural extension of the organization’s long-standing commitment to public-private collaboration.
“Our mission has always been to protect U.S. critical infrastructure,” she said. “By working with CyberRisk Collaborative, we can offer our members new opportunities to access intelligence, training, and other resources to proactively manage cyber risk.”
Together, the two organizations are betting on a simple premise: that empowering leaders with shared knowledge and real-world tools is key to building a more resilient cybersecurity ecosystem—one that’s prepared to defend against threats that evolve as fast as the technology designed to stop them.
In a conversation with SC Media, Moul described the initiative as both a practical response to today’s cyber threat landscape and a forward-looking investment in leadership development. She emphasized that the alliance is about building a sustainable community of security professionals who not only share intelligence but also mentor and elevate one another.
SC: What motivated InfraGard National Members Alliance and the CyberRisk Collaborative to form this alliance, and how do you see it aligning with both organizations’ missions?
Moul: Cyberattacks continue to rise exponentially in America, targeting our national security and economic interests, public health and safety, technology, and innovation. The mission of InfraGard National is to protect U.S. critical infrastructure, and we know that brazen cyber criminals and nation-state actors pose serious threats to the critical infrastructure owners and operators that provide essential services to our country and the American people.
Our alliance with the CyberRisk Collaborative aligns very well with our mission and our focus on information sharing. We’re excited to offer InfraGard members the opportunity to access intelligence, training, and numerous other resources to proactively manage cyber risk and prepare for or prevent cyber attacks.
SC: From your perspective, what makes this alliance unique compared to other collaborations in the cybersecurity space?
Moul: One of the most unique aspects of this collaboration is our focus on the small to medium-sized businesses that represent the backbone of our nation’s economy. Without enterprise-sized cybersecurity budgets, SMBs must be more resourceful in relying on education, information sharing, and an extensive peer network. The InfraGard program has been a game-changer in this area for nearly 30 years. By working with the CyberRisk Collaborative, we hope to continue leveling the playing field by making conference scholarships and a library of CISO-developed templates and tools more accessible to SMBs. We must continue finding ways to deprioritize the role of cost as a determining factor in our nation’s ability to fight back against cyberattacks.
SC: The alliance also includes scholarships to major conferences like InfoSec World and Identiverse. Why was it important to build these opportunities into the program, and how do they help grow the next generation of leaders?
Moul: Education is one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox, so our philosophy is to remove as many barriers to entry as possible. Scholarships to events like InfoSec World provide valuable learning opportunities for InfraGard members so they can strengthen their organizations’ security postures. There has been a tightening of travel and conference budgets across the board this year, so these scholarships are key to accessibility. By keeping our members informed about the latest cybersecurity trends, threats, and mitigations, we are training and empowering the security leaders who are at the helm of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
SC: The 12-week Leadership Program is a significant benefit. What are the top skills or transformations you expect participants to walk away with?
Moul: As a strong proponent of leadership development, I believe a marriage of leadership skills and technical skills is necessary to win the cyber war. Through this collaboration, InfraGard members will have the opportunity to attend leadership exchange events for CISOs, quarterly CISO dinners, monthly briefings, attend a 12-week Cybersecurity Leadership Development Program, and more. The ability to build a network of trusted advisors and collaborate with other cybersecurity leaders promotes the sharing of ideas, experiences, and best practices—all of which are key to preventing cyber attacks.
SC: How does vendor-free collaboration within CRC’s community differentiate from other peer-support models out there?
Moul: Cybersecurity leaders will find tremendous value in this peer-driven community. It is a place where CISOs from diverse industries and backgrounds can gather to exchange knowledge and ideas, share common challenges and solutions, and consult with each other in a trusted, vendor-neutral environment.
SC: CRC is donating a portion of every membership back to InfraGard National Members Alliance. How do you envision those funds being used to further InfraGard National’s mission?
Moul: As an independent nonprofit organization, we produce a variety of programs to support our mission of protecting U.S. critical infrastructure and the American people—almost all of which are offered at no cost to InfraGard members. Funds from this collaboration can help support our flagship information-sharing programs, including our InfraGard National Education Program, National Sector Security and Resilience Program, and National Cross-Sector Council Program. Additionally, this collaboration can facilitate additional investment into national events and resources for our 70+ local InfraGard Members Alliances (IMAs) across the country, who are doing tremendous work protecting critical infrastructure in their communities.
SC: What impact do you hope this alliance will have over the next 12 months for both InfraGard members and the broader cybersecurity community?
Moul: Cyber criminals and nation-state actors are attacking critical infrastructure via the cyber domain to produce consequences of unprecedented scope and degrade our national and economic security. The strength of the InfraGard program lies in the knowledge, experience, and commitment of our members, who have a significant role in ensuring the protection and resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure.
Our alliance with CyberRisk Collaborative is squarely aimed at educating and informing the cybersecurity leaders and stakeholders we serve via leadership development, workforce development, sharing of intelligence and insights, and more. Over the next year, we hope this collaboration will result in greater cyber awareness and target hardening to help prevent and mitigate cyber attacks.
SC: Looking ahead, how do you see this alliance evolving—are there additional resources, programs, or collaborations on the horizon that members should be excited about?
Moul: The cyber landscape evolves at breakneck speed. There will always be a new threat actor, vector, or tactic to contend with. This collaboration already offers a tremendous amount of foundational components when it comes to on-demand training, events, toolkits, intelligence reports, and more. We will continue to listen to our InfraGard members, who are working in the trenches every single day, and adapt our offerings to meet the cybersecurity needs of both today and tomorrow.