Cross-Sector Councils

National Cross Sector Council Program History

The National Cross Sector Council Program (NCSCP) is the national-level InfraGard program focused on information sharing for cross sector special interest groups. Started back in 2011, while the InfraGard program was under the FBI Cyber Division, InfraGard program was expanding rapidly with its membership. The need for information sharing and collaboration has expanded beyond the standard localized communication within the geographic region of each of the InfraGard IMA chapters. For sector specific collaboration across all IMA chapters, InfraGard developed national-level Sector Chief Program (now National Sector Security and Resiliency Program, NSSRP) In order to address the need for experts, intelligence, communication, and collaboration for sector-specific activities.

Furthermore, InfraGard identified the operational requirements to communicate dependency and interoperability and to coordinate activities that cross multiple critical infrastructure sectors. In order to address this additional level of complexity, InfraGard developed the Special Interests Groups (SIG) in 2013. In 2019, The Special Interest Group program was renamed to the National Cross Sector Council Program (NCSCP) to improve branding and more effectively represent its functions.

In order to fully support these national level InfraGard program and to manage all the local and regional InfraGard program, a FBI Cyber Division Unit, National Infrastructure Protection Unit (NIPU), was created to manage InfraGard program at the national-level overseeing the InfraGard coordinators (FBI special agents in the field offices). Each of the ten Supervisory Special Agents of NIPU had regional responsibilities as well as responsibilities to Sector Chief Programs and Special Interest Groups. The specific assignment was based on the specialized background of these Supervisory Special Agents who were able to contribute to these specialized fields.

NCSCP enhance timely, accurate and effective dissemination and exchange of Cross Sector specific information among InfraGard members to protect, secure and ensure the operational resilience of the nation’s interdependent and cyber-reliant critical infrastructure(s) by providing comprehensive expertise to communities throughout the United States. While specific IMA chapters address local FBI divisional and regional needs, the NCSCP and NSSRP address all threats and hazards at the national level as well as supporting activities at the chapter and regional levels. Additionally, NCSCP specifically addresses the threats, impacts, interdependencies, and interoperabilities among two or more critical infrastructure sectors.

Currently led by the seven National Cross Sector Council chairpersons and the program manager, the NCSCP provides leadership, guidance, and support for all activities and operations conducted by the current six Cross Sector Councils. Via communication, coordination, and collaboration between the Cross Sector Councils (CSCs), NSSRP, and InfraGard individual chapters, NCSCP help InfraGard members develop and sustain effective CSC Programs in their areas of operation.

• Mary Lasky – Chair of National Cross Sector Council Program and Chair of National Disaster Resilience CSC (Maryland) 
• Kim Hirsch - Chair of Business Continuity CSC 
• Gary Retherford – Chair of Blockchain CSC (Cincinnati) 
• Vikas Bhatia – Chair of CISO CSC (New York Metro) 
• Earl Motzer – Chair of Countering Human Trafficking and Forced labor CSC (Kentucky)
• Jodi Masters-Gonzales – Chair of Digital Exhaust Threats and Mitigations CSC
• Andrew Lanning – Chair of Electronic Security Industry CSC (Hawaii) 
• Joseph DiNoto – Chair of Insider Threat Mitigation CSC (Huntsville) 
• Richard Lutkus – Chair of Legal Industry CSC (Chicago) 

Cross Sector Council Mission Statements

Blockchain Cross Sector Council
Gary Retherford, Chair, Cincinnati IMA
The Blockchain Cross Sector Council is seeking to expand and broaden the consideration of blockchain usage in Critical Infrastructure applications. This disruptive technology fosters transparency through secure data storage and exchange across critical infrastructure industries, thereby establishing a secure foundation for transactional data security. Blockchain is a technology that enforces transactional security ensuring data integrity and immutability throughout the lifetime of a data element. The mission of this council is to expand the blockchain collective knowledge pool among sector member by building a cross-sector organization that will promote dialogue, encourage the development of potential blockchain solutions for critical infrastructures, and share knowledge from one sector to another.

Business Continuity Cross Sector Council
Kim Hirsch, Chair, Washington State IMA
The InfraGard Business Continuity BC CSC is chartered to coordinate the interests, activities and objectives of InfraGard members who are engaged in or interested in Business Continuity, COOP, Disaster Recovery, Risk Management, Governance, Compliance, Crisis Management, Incident Management, Emergency Response or any of the continuity related disciplines, and to act as Subject Matter Experts to the National Sector Chiefs and its members on issues our CSC focuses on.

Chief Information Security Officer Cross Sector Council
Vikas Bhatia, Chairperson,  New York Metro IMA
The CISO CSC provides an opportunity for InfraGard members who have an executive leadership position in Information Security to collaborate both at the chapter, region, and national level. CISOs exist with expertise in every sector. There is a need to strengthen information Security in America and enhance the workforce ensuring we keep our competitive edge. We will succeed at this through our members strengths and collaborating with effective partners.

Countering Human Trafficking and Forced Labor Cross Sector Council
Earl Motzer, Chair, Kentucky State IMA
The mission of this new CSC is to expand the knowledge of the 86,000+ InfraGard members about this criminal activity, including ways to recognize possible victims and where to report suspected trafficking activity. Education, briefings, and resources on various aspects of human trafficking and forced labor will be made available to InfraGard Members Alliances (IMAs) for their use.

Digital Exhaust Threats and Mitigation Cross Sector Council
Jodi Masters-Gonzales, Chair, Los Angeles IMA
This mission of the Digital Exhaust Threats and Mitigation (DEX) CSC is to equip InfraGard members, communities, and public/private partners with information, resources, and tools to combat cybercrimes that leverage DEX—from those of convenience (e.g. automated bots) to Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). Through education, training, and increased awareness of the FBI Digital Exhaust Opt-Out Guide, we aim to increase collective intelligence in this domain, enabling a collaborative defense that contributes to the protection of our nation’s Critical Infrastructure and national preparedness directives.

Electronic Security Industry Cross Sector Council
Andrew Lanning, Chair, Honolulu IMA
The Electronic Security Industry Cross Sector Council is established to facilitate the gathering, coding, and dissemination of Cross Sector supply chain facility(s) physical and cyber security readiness to FBI, DHS, and/or other U.S. Government agencies charged with maintaining national security, readiness, and resilience.

Insider Threat Mitigation Cross Sector Council
Joseph DiNoto, Chair, Huntsville IMA
The Insider Threat Mitigation Cross Sector Council is established to facilitate the identification, mitigation, and operations against the insider threats faced by all sixteen critical infrastructure sectors by organizing communication, education and information sharing of both threat and mitigation information to the leadership of all sectors.

Legal Cross Sector Council
Richard Lutkus, Chair, Chicago IMA
The mission of Legal CSC is to organize communication, education and sharing of threat information to the leadership of the legal community within the InfraGard membership. Our demographic includes chairpersons, general counsel, managing partners, assistant general counsel and other senior leadership in risk roles in their organizations.

National Disaster Resilience Council (NDRC)
Mary Lasky, Chair, Maryland IMA
Steve Volandt, Vice Chair, Charlotte, NC IMA
The InfraGard National Disaster Resilience Council Mission is to inform communities how to mitigate the high-impact threat of long-term power and communications failure (greater than 30 days), which could lead to catastrophic, cascading losses of life-sustaining infrastructures and resources for recovery. Our purpose is to foster communications and coordination that will address and mitigate the threat of a simultaneous nationwide or regional collapse of infrastructure from any hazard such as man-made electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or other intentional or naturally occurring hazard. The NDRC is very concerned about losses of critical infrastructure. Special concern for loss of electric power, communications, water & wastewater, food & agriculture, supply chains, associated transportation, healthcare and Information/operation technology (IT/OT). The NDRC is concerned with infrequent hazards and combinations of frequent with infrequent hazards. Pandemics have always been of concern and this year with COVID-19 have concentrated on it in combination with other hazards.