The 2008 Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) created the foundation for a whole-of-government approach to protecting the nation from cybersecurity threats. As part of the CNCI, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF) was established under Presidential Directive as one of the country’s national cybersecurity centers. Located in Washington, D.C. area, the FBI-led NCIJTF serves as the National focal point for coordinating cyber threat investigations.
While national-level coordination is important to securing the nation, teamwork at the local level is also essential. After more than a decade of combating cyber crime through a nationwide network of interagency task forces, the FBI has evolved its Cyber Task Forces (CTFs) in all 56 field offices to focus exclusively on cybersecurity threats. In addition to key law enforcement and homeland security agencies at the state and local level, each CTF partners many of the federal agencies that participate in the NCIJTF at the headquarters level. This promotes effective collaboration and deconfliction of efforts at both the local and national level. The CTF role within the field office territory includes:
· Responding to cyber incidents and conducting victim-based investigations
· Understanding and addressing the threats, vulnerabilities, and collection opportunities that exist
· Maintaining relationships and information sharing with key companies and institutions
