Enhancing infrastructure security

Jan. 1, 2002
Safeguarding the security of critical business information and manufacturing infrastructures is the goal of a new group established by The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), Ann Arbor, Mich. The InfraGard Manufacturing Industry Association

Safeguarding the security of critical business information and manufacturing infrastructures is the goal of a new group established by The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), Ann Arbor, Mich. The InfraGard Manufacturing Industry Association (IMIA) grew out of a desire to equip manufacturers and their supply-chain partners with important communications, education, and collaborative project services.

NCMS created the association at the request of the executive board of InfraGard, an information-sharing-and-analysis initiative between the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) and industry, business, and academic institutions; law enforcement agencies; and other participants. This group is dedicated to increasing the security of U.S. critical infrastructures.

Dr. John Decaire, president of NCMS, says that his group has been negotiating with InfraGard to create this entity for many months. "We, as a nation, now have heightened awareness of just how dependent our businesses are to infrastructure access. The Internet has quickly become one of the most valuable tools for productivity and growth for many manufacturers today, but we must recognize that it also represents potential dangers, not yet fully understood."

According to Decaire, the new IMIA program will communicate and provide access to advancements and best practices that address critical infrastructure risks, as well as opportunities for the manufacturing industry sector.